A new study published in Spine examines single and multilevel artificial disc replacement procedures in the outpatient setting.
The study authors analyzed consecutive cervical disc replacement cases performed in an ASC over a nine-month period and followed patients for 90 days postoperatively. There were 147 patients who had 231 levels treated included in the study. Seventy-one of the procedures were single-level and 76 were multilevel procedures. The patient mix included non-smokers as well as four smokers and 16 former smokers. The average body mass index was 26.8.
Here are the key findings:
1. The average time under anesthesia was 88 minutes, with the range being 39 minutes to 168 minutes.
2. Estimated blood loss was 15 mL on average, with a range of 5 mL to 100 mL.
3. Most of the patients, 90.3 percent, were discharged directly home. The remaining patients were discharged to an after-care facility.
4. There were no deaths and two hospitalizations during the 90 days after surgery. The hospitalizations were for a medical complication and a surgical site infection.
5. The study authors concluded, "We believe that these procedures are safe to perform in an ASC. An efficient surgical team and careful patient selection criteria are critical in making this possible."