Enhancing the referral process for surgical management of spinal metastases: insights from a 12-year, bi-institutional study of 533 patients.

Introduction: Delayed surgical management of spinal metastases (SMs) can have detrimental effects on patient survival and quality of life, leading to pain and potential neurological impairment. This study aimed to assess the impact of delayed referral for SMs on clinical outcomes by analyzing patients managed in emergency situations.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of all patients admitted on either emergency or elective basis who underwent surgery for the treatment of neoplastic spine lesions at our two institutions (tertiary referral neurosurgical units) between January 2008 and December 2019.