Bydon, Mohamad

OBJECTIVE The nature of the volume-outcome relationship in cases with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains unclear, with considerable interhospital variation in patient outcomes. The objective of this study was to understand the state of the volume-outcome relationship at different levels of trauma centers in the United States. METHODS The authors queried the National Trauma Data Bank for the years 2007–2014 for patients with severe TBI. Case volumes for each level of trauma center organized into quintiles (Q1–Q5) served as the primary predictor. Analyzed outcomes included in-hospital mortality, total hospital length of stay (LOS), and intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Multivariable regression models were performed for in-hospital mortality, overall complications, and total hospital and ICU LOSs to adjust for possible confounders. The analysis was stratified by level designation of the trauma center. Statistical significance was established at p < 0.001 to avoid a type I error due to a large sample size. RESULTS A total of 122,445 patients were included. Adjusted analysis did not demonstrate a significant relationship between increasing hospital volume of severe TBI cases and in-hospital mortality, complications, and nonhome hospital discharge disposition among level I–IV trauma centers. However, among level II trauma centers, hospital LOS was longer for the highest volume quintile (adjusted mean difference [MD] for Q5: 2.83 days, 95% CI 1.40–4.26 days, p < 0.001, reference = Q1). For level III and IV trauma centers, both hospital LOS and ICU LOS were longer for the highest volume quintile (adjusted MD for Q5: LOS 4.6 days, 95% CI 2.3–7.0 days, p < 0.001; ICU LOS 3.2 days, 95% CI 1.6–4.8 days, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Higher volumes of severe TBI cases at a lower level of trauma center may be associated with a longer LOS. These results may assist policymakers with target interventions for resource allocation and point to the need for careful prehospital decision-making in patients with severe TBI.

Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study. Objectives: When anterior cervical osteophytes become large enough, they may cause dysphagia. There is a paucity of work examining outcomes and complications of anterior cervical osteophyte resection for dysphagia. Methods: Retrospective review identified 19 patients who underwent anterior cervical osteophyte resection for a diagnosis of dysphagia. The mean age was 71 years and follow-up, 4.7 years. The most common level operated on was C3-C4 (13, 69%). Results: Following anterior cervical osteophyte resection, 79% of patients had improvement in dysphagia. Five patients underwent cervical fusion; there were no episodes of delayed or iatrogenic instability requiring fusion. Fusion patients were younger (64 vs 71 years, P = .05) and had longer operative times (315 vs 121 minutes, P = .01). Age of 75 years or less trended toward improvement in dysphagia ( P = .09; OR = 18.8; 95% CI 0.7-478.0), whereas severe dysphagia trended toward increased complications ( P = .07; OR = 11.3; 95% CI = 0.8-158.5). Body mass index, use of an exposure surgeon, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis diagnosis, surgery at 3 or more levels, prior neck surgery, and fusion were not predictive of improvement or complication. Conclusions: Anterior cervical osteophyte resection improves swallowing function in the majority of patients with symptomatic osteophytes. Spinal fusion can be added to address stenosis and other underlying cervical disease and help prevent osteophyte recurrence, whereas intraoperative navigation can be used to ensure complete osteophyte resection without breaching the cortex or entering the disc space. Because of the relatively high complication rate, patients should undergo thorough multidisciplinary workup with swallow evaluation to confirm that anterior cervical osteophytes are the primary cause of dysphagia prior to surgery.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND It remains unclear if minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) is comparable to traditional, open TLIF because of the limitations of the prior small-sample-size, single-center studies reporting comparative effectiveness. OBJECTIVE To compare MI-TLIF to traditional, open TLIF for grade 1 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis in the largest study to date by sample size. METHODS We utilized the prospective Quality Outcomes Database registry and queried patients with grade 1 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis who underwent single-segment surgery with MI- or open TLIF methods. Outcomes were compared 24 mo postoperatively. RESULTS A total of 297 patients were included: 72 (24.2%) MI-TLIF and 225 (75.8%) open TLIF. MI-TLIF surgeries had lower mean body mass indexes (29.5 ± 5.1 vs 31.3 ± 7.0, P = .0497) and more worker's compensation cases (11.1% vs 1.3%, P < .001) but were otherwise similar. MI-TLIF had less blood loss (108.8 ± 85.6 vs 299.6 ± 242.2 mL, P < .001), longer operations (228.2 ± 111.5 vs 189.6 ± 66.5 min, P < .001), and a higher return-to-work (RTW) rate (100% vs 80%, P = .02). Both cohorts improved significantly from baseline for 24-mo Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Numeric Rating Scale back pain (NRS-BP), NRS leg pain (NRS-LP), and Euro-Qol-5 dimension (EQ-5D) ( P > .001). In multivariable adjusted analyses, MI-TLIF was associated with lower ODI (β = −4.7; 95% CI = −9.3 to −0.04; P = .048), higher EQ-5D (β = 0.06; 95% CI = 0.01-0.11; P = .02), and higher satisfaction (odds ratio for North American Spine Society [NASS] 1/2 = 3.9; 95% CI = 1.4-14.3; P = .02). Though trends favoring MI-TLIF were evident for NRS-BP ( P = .06), NRS-LP ( P = .07), and reoperation rate ( P = .13), these results did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION For single-level grade 1 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, MI-TLIF was associated with less disability, higher quality of life, and higher patient satisfaction compared with traditional, open TLIF. MI-TLIF was associated with higher rates of RTW, less blood loss, but longer operative times. Though we utilized multivariable adjusted analyses, these findings may be susceptible to selection bias.

OBJECTIVELoss to follow-up has been shown to bias outcomes assessment among studies utilizing clinical registries. Here, the authors analyzed patients enrolled in a national surgical registry and compared the baseline characteristics of patients captured with those lost to follow-up at 2 years.METHODSThe authors queried the Quality Outcomes Database for patients with grade I lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis undergoing a surgical intervention between July 2014 and June 2016. Only those patients enrolled in a multisite study investigating the impact of fusion on clinical and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among patients with grade I spondylolisthesis were evaluated.RESULTSOf the 608 patients enrolled in the study undergoing 1- or 2-level decompression (23.0%, n = 140) or 1-level fusion (77.0%, n = 468), 14.5% (n = 88) were lost to follow-up at 2 years. Patients who were lost to follow-up were more likely to be younger (59.6 ± 13.5 vs 62.6 ± 11.7 years, p = 0.031), be employed (unemployment rate: 53.3% [n = 277] for successful follow-up vs 40.9% [n = 36] for those lost to follow-up, p = 0.017), have anxiety (26.1% [n = 23] vs 16.3% [n = 85], p = 0.026), have higher back pain scores (7.4 ± 2.9 vs 6.6 ± 2.8, p = 0.010), have higher leg pain scores (7.4 ± 2.5 vs 6.4 ± 2.9, p = 0.003), have higher Oswestry Disability Index scores (50.8 ± 18.7 vs 46 ± 16.8, p = 0.018), and have lower EQ-5D scores (0.481 ± 0.2 vs 0.547 ± 0.2, p = 0.012) at baseline.CONCLUSIONSTo execute future, high-quality studies, it is important to identify patients undergoing surgery for spondylolisthesis who might be lost to follow-up. In a large, prospective registry, the authors found that those lost to follow-up were more likely to be younger, be employed, have anxiety disorder, and have worse PRO scores.

Study Design. Prospective database analysis. Objective. To assess the effect of age on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and complication rates after surgical treatment for spondylolisthesis Summary of Background Data. Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis affects 3% to 20% of the population and up to 30% of the elderly. There is not yet consensus on whether age is a contraindication for surgical treatment of elderly patients. Methods. The Quality Outcomes Database lumbar registry was used to evaluate patients from 12 US academic and private centers who underwent surgical treatment for grade 1 lumbar spondylolisthesis between July 2014 and June 2016. Results. A total of 608 patients who fit the inclusion criteria were categorized by age into the following groups: less than 60 (n = 239), 60 to 70 (n = 209), 71 to 80 (n = 128), and more than 80 (n = 32) years. Older patients showed lower mean body mass index (P < 0.001) and higher rates of diabetes (P = 0.007), coronary artery disease (P = 0.0001), and osteoporosis (P = 0.005). A lower likelihood for home disposition was seen with higher age (89.1% in <60-year-old vs. 75% in >80-year-old patients; P = 0.002). There were no baseline differences in PROs (Oswestry Disability Index, EuroQol health survey [EQ-5D], Numeric Rating Scale for leg pain and back pain) among age categories. A significant improvement for all PROs was seen regardless of age (P < 0.05), and most patients met minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) for improvement in postoperative PROs. No differences in hospital readmissions or reoperations were seen among age groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that, after controlling other variables, a higher age did not decrease the odds of achieving MCID at 12 months for the PROs. Conclusion. Our results indicate that well-selected elderly patients undergoing surgical treatment of grade 1 spondylolisthesis can achieve meaningful outcomes. This modern, multicenter US study reflects the current use and limitations of spondylolisthesis treatment in the elderly, which may be informative to patients and providers. Level of Evidence: 4

OBJECTIVE The impact of FDA approval of flow-diversion technology for the treatment of supraclinoid internal carotid artery aneurysms and the publication of the Carotid Occlusion Surgery Study, both of which occurred in 2011, on the utilization of extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypasses is not known. METHODS The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried for hospitalizations for EC-IC bypass performed from 2008 to 2016. Diagnoses of interest included an unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), carotid occlusive disease (COD), and moyamoya disease. The authors assessed trends in EC-IC bypass utilization for these diagnoses and the incidence of adverse discharges, defined as discharge to locations other than home, and the rate of mortality. RESULTS A total of 1640 EC-IC bypass procedures were performed at 558 hospitals during the study period, with 1148 procedures at 448 hospitals performed for a diagnosis of interest. The most frequent surgical indication was moyamoya disease (65.7%, n = 754), followed by COD (23.2%, n = 266), SAH (3.2%, n = 37), and a UIA (7.9%, n = 91). EC-IC bypass utilization for COD decreased from 0.21 per 100 admissions of COD in 2010 to 0.09 per 100 admissions in 2016 (p = 0.023). The frequency of adverse discharges increased during the study period from 22.3% of annual admissions in 2008 to 31.2% in 2016 (p = 0.030) when analysis was limited to procedures performed for a diagnosis of interest. Per volume, the top 5th percentile of hospitals, on average, performed 18.4 procedures (SD 13.2) per hospital during the study period, compared to 1.3 procedures (SD 1.3) that were performed in hospitals within the bottom 95th percentile. The rate of adverse discharges was higher at low-volume institutions when compared to that at high-volume institutions (33.8% vs 28.7%; p = 0.029). Over the study period, the authors noted a trend toward a reduced percentage of total surgical volume performed at high-volume hospitals (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The authors observed a decrease in the utilization of EC-IC bypass for COD during the study period. An increase in the rate of adverse discharges was also noted, coinciding with more procedures being performed at lower-volume centers.

OBJECTIVEDischarge to an inpatient rehabilitation facility or another acute-care facility not only constitutes a postoperative challenge for patients and their care team but also contributes significantly to healthcare costs. In this era of changing dynamics of healthcare payment models in which cost overruns are being increasingly shifted to surgeons and hospitals, it is important to better understand outcomes such as discharge disposition. In the current article, the authors sought to develop a predictive model for factors associated with nonroutine discharge after surgery for grade I spondylolisthesis.METHODSThe authors queried the Quality Outcomes Database for patients with grade I lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis who underwent a surgical intervention between July 2014 and June 2016. Only those patients enrolled in a multisite study investigating the impact of fusion on clinical and patient-reported outcomes among patients with grade I spondylolisthesis were evaluated. Nonroutine discharge was defined as those who were discharged to a postacute or nonacute-care setting in the same hospital or transferred to another acute-care facility.RESULTSOf the 608 patients eligible for inclusion, 9.4% (n = 57) had a nonroutine discharge (8.7%, n = 53 discharged to inpatient postacute or nonacute care in the same hospital and 0.7%, n = 4 transferred to another acute-care facility). Compared to patients who were discharged to home, patients who had a nonroutine discharge were more likely to have diabetes (26.3%, n = 15 vs 15.7%, n = 86, p = 0.039); impaired ambulation (26.3%, n = 15 vs 10.2%, n = 56, p < 0.001); higher Oswestry Disability Index at baseline (51 [IQR 42–62.12] vs 46 [IQR 34.4–58], p = 0.014); lower EuroQol-5D scores (0.437 [IQR 0.308–0.708] vs 0.597 [IQR 0.358–0.708], p = 0.010); higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score (3 or 4: 63.2%, n = 36 vs 36.7%, n = 201, p = 0.002); and longer length of stay (4 days [IQR 3–5] vs 2 days [IQR 1–3], p < 0.001); and were more likely to suffer a complication (14%, n = 8 vs 5.6%, n = 31, p = 0.014). On multivariable logistic regression, factors found to be independently associated with higher odds of nonroutine discharge included older age (interquartile OR 9.14, 95% CI 3.79–22.1, p < 0.001), higher body mass index (interquartile OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.31–3.25, p < 0.001), presence of depression (OR 4.28, 95% CI 1.96–9.35, p < 0.001), fusion surgery compared with decompression alone (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1–1.6, p < 0.001), and any complication (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.4–10.9, p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONSIn this multisite study of a defined cohort of patients undergoing surgery for grade I spondylolisthesis, factors associated with higher odds of nonroutine discharge included older age, higher body mass index, presence of depression, and occurrence of any complication.

OBJECTIVE As compensation transitions from a fee-for-service to pay-for-performance healthcare model, providers must prioritize patient-centered experiences. Here, the authors’ primary aim was to identify predictors of patient dissatisfaction at 1 and 2 years after lumbar surgery. METHODS The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) was queried for all lumbar operations at the 1- and 2-year follow-ups. Predictors of patients’ postoperative contentment were identified per the North American Spine Surgery (NASS) Patient Satisfaction Index, wherein satisfied patients were assigned a score of 1 (“the treatment met my expectations”) or 2 (“I did not improve as much as I had hoped, but I would undergo the same treatment for the same outcome”) and unsatisfied patients were assigned a score of 3 (“I did not improve as much as I had hoped, and I would not undergo the same treatment for the same outcome”) or 4 (“I am the same or worse than before treatment”). Multivariable Poisson generalized estimating equation models were used to report adjusted risk ratios (RR adj ). RESULTS Among 5390 patients with a 1-year follow-up, 22% reported dissatisfaction postoperatively. Dissatisfaction was predicted by higher body mass index (RR adj =1.07, p < 0.001), African American race compared to white (RR adj = 1.51, p < 0.001), education level less than high school graduation compared to a high school diploma or equivalent (RR adj = 1.25, p = 0.008), smoking (RR adj = 1.34, p < 0.001), daily preoperative opioid use > 6 months (RR adj = 1.22, p < 0.001), depression (RR adj = 1.31, p < 0.001), symptom duration > 1 year (RR adj = 1.32, p < 0.001), previous spine surgery (RR adj = 1.32, p < 0.001), and higher baseline numeric rating scale (NRS)–back pain score (RR adj = 1.04, p = 0.002). Conversely, an education level higher than high school graduation, independent ambulation (RR adj = 0.90, p = 0.039), higher baseline NRS–leg pain score (RR adj = 0.97, p = 0.013), and fusion surgery (RR adj = 0.88, p = 0.014) decreased dissatisfaction. Among 2776 patients with a 2-year follow-up, 22% reported dissatisfaction postoperatively. Dissatisfaction was predicted by a non-white race, current smoking (RR adj = 1.26, p = 0.004), depression (RR adj = 1.34, p < 0.001), symptom duration > 1 year (RR adj = 1.47, p < 0.001), previous spine surgery (RR adj = 1.28, p < 0.001), and higher baseline NRS–back pain score (RR adj = 1.06, p = 0.003). Conversely, at least some college education (RR adj = 0.87, p = 0.035) decreased the risk of dissatisfaction. CONCLUSIONS Both comorbid conditions and socioeconomic circumstances must be considered in counseling patients on postoperative expectations. After race, symptom duration was the strongest predictor of dissatisfaction; thus, patient-centered measures must be prioritized. These findings should serve as a tool for surgeons to identify at-risk populations that may need more attention regarding effective communication and additional preoperative counseling to address potential barriers unique to their situation.

Abstract BACKGROUND High-grade gliomas (HGGs) of the brainstem represent a rarer subtype of central nervous system tumors compared to their supratentorial counterpart. Predictors of survival and patterns of care have not yet been established on a national, multi-institutional scale. METHODS The National Cancer Database was queried for adult cases surgically diagnosed with brainstem high-grade glioma. An array of patient demographics, comorbidities, tumor characteristics and treatment parameters were captured. Predictors of survival were investigated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis adjusting for age, insurance status, Charlson comorbidity score, tumor grade, tumor size and type of treatment. RESULTS A total of 422 patients (median 51 years, 60% males) were analyzed. Two hundred eighty one received postoperative radiation with chemotherapy (66.6%), thirty-nine had radiation alone (9.2%), while the remaining had no adjuvant treatment (24.2%). Median radiation dosage was 54Gy. Overall median survival was 9.8 months (95% CI 8.8–12). Survival was significantly longer (p< .001) in the chemotherapy+radiation group (median: 14.2 months, 95% CI 11.7–17.1) compared to radiation alone (median: 5.7 months, 95% CI 3.7–12) and no adjuvant treatment (median:1.8 months, 95% CI 1.4–4). In multivariable analysis, increasing age (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.47–2.37, p< .001) was associated with worse survival, whereas radiation with chemotherapy (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.46–0.98, p=0.038) were associated with lower hazards of death compared to radiation alone. In subgroup analysis, the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy with radiation remained significant for grade IV (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.28–0.76, p=0.003), but not for grade III tumors (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.48–1.58, p=0.65). CONCLUSION Findings of the present analysis demonstrate the effectiveness of radiation with chemotherapy for adult patients with high-grade brainstem gliomas, particularly grade IV. Further research should aim on identifying specific patient profiles and molecular subgroups that are more likely to benefit from multimodality therapy.