What Is the Impact of Surgical Approach in the Treatment of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy in Patients With OPLL? A Propensity-Score Matched, Multi-Center Analysis on Inpatient and Post-Discharge 90-Day Outcomes

Abstract

The national estimates for inpatient complications(25%), readmissions(9.9%), and reoperations(3.5%) are substantial after the surgical treatment of multi-level OPLL. An anterior approach resulted in significantly higher inpatient surgical complications, but this did not result in a longer hospital length of stay and the overall 90-day complication rates requiring readmission or reoperation was similar to those seen after a posterior approach. For patients requiring >3-level fusion, an anterior approach is associated with significantly higher risk for respiratory complications requiring mechanical ventilation and revision fusion surgery. Precise neurological complications and functional outcomes were not included in this database, and should be further assessed in future studies.