Causes of Unplanned Reoperations of Spinal Surgery

  Objective  To investigate the causes of unplanned reoperations of spinal surgery.

  Methods  Patients hospitalized in the department of spinal surgery who underwent unplanned reoperations from February 2012 to July 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The potential causes of unplanned reoperations were summarized. The postoperative outcome, average duration of hospital stay and satisfaction of these inpatients were also analyzed.

  Results  A total of 22 patients underwent unplanned reoperations in the department of spinal surgery. Among these 22 patients, unplanned reoperations were performed due to unsatisfied pedicle screw placement in 8 cases, incision problems in 6 cases, and abnormal sensation or muscle strength in 7 cases. Adjustment of screw location, wound debridement, and spinal canal exploration/decompression yielded good outcomes. However, the average duration of hospital stay of these patients was longer than those without unplanned reoperations(25.6 d vs 12.5 d) and the average inpatient satisfaction was lower(85.2 vs 97.7).

  Conclusions  Monitoring of unplanned reoperations is particularly important. The specific causes of unplanned reoperations in different departments should be carefully analyzed to inform the improvements.