Solid Organ Transplant Is Associated with Increased Morbidity and Mortality in Patients Undergoing One or Two-level Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion

Study Design.Retrospective database reviewObjective.The aim of this study was to analyze the implications of solid organ transplant (SOT) on postoperative outcomes following elective one or two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).Summary of Background Data.Although SOTs have been associated with increased morbidity, postoperative outcomes in SOT recipients undergoing cervical spinal surgery are not well studied.Methods.A retrospective database review of Medicare patients younger than 85 years who underwent an elective one to two-level ACDF from 2006-2013 was conducted. Following our exclusion criteria, patients were then divided into the following groups: Those with a prior history of kidney, liver, heart or lung transplant (SOT group) and non-SOT patients. Both groups were compared for hospital length of stay, 90-day major medical complications, 90-day hospital readmission, 1-year surgical site infection (SSI), 1-year revision ACDF, and 1-year mortality.Results.A total of 992 (0.5%) SOT recipients (1,144 organs) were identified out of 199,288 ACDF patients. SOT recipients had a significantly longer length of stay (2.32 vs. 5.22 days, p<0.001), higher rate of major medical complications (8.2% vs. 4.5%; OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.45-2.33, p<0.001) and hospital readmission (19.5% vs. 7.5%, OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.74-2.41, p<0.001). In addition, SOT patients had increased mortality within one year of surgery (5.8% vs. 1.3%; OR 3.01, 95% CI 2.26-3.94, p<0.001) compared to non-SOT patients. SOT was not independently associated with SSI (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.85-1.75, p=0.230), and there was no significant difference in revision rate (0.9% vs. 0.5%; OR 1.54, 95% CI 0.73-2.82, p=0.202) between both groups.Conclusion.SOT is independently associated with longer hospital stay, increased rate of major medical complications, hospital readmission and mortality. Spine surgeons should be aware of the higher rates of morbidity and mortality in these patients and take it into consideration when developing patient-specific treatment plans.Level of Evidence: 3.