A National Snapshot Detailing the Impact of Parkinson's Disease on the Cost and Outcome Profiles of Fusion Procedures for Cervical Myelopathy.

Background: Studies suggest a higher prevalence of cervical deformities in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients who predispose to cervical myelopathy (CM). Despite the profound effect of CM on function and quality of life, no study has assessed the influence of PD on costs and outcomes of fusion procedures for CM.

Objective: To conduct the first national-level study that provides a snapshot of the current outcome and cost profiles for different fusion procedures for CM in PD and non-PD populations.

Methods: Patients with or without PD who underwent cervical decompression and fusion anteriorly (ACDF), posteriorly (PCDF), or both (Frontback), for CM were identified from the 2013 to 2014 National Inpatient Sample using International Classification of Disease codes.

Results: A total of 75 870 CM patients were identified, with 535 patients (0.71%) also having PD. Although no difference existed between in-hospital mortality rates, overall complication rates were higher in PD patients (38.32% vs 22.05%; P < .001). PD patients had higher odds of pulmonary (P = .002), circulatory (P = .020), and hematological complications (P = .035). Following ACDFs, PD patients had higher odds of complications (P = .035), extended hospitalization (P = .026), greater total charges (P = .003), and nonhome discharge (P = .006). Although PCDFs and Frontbacks produced higher overall complication rates for both populations than ACDFs, PD status did not affect complication odds for these procedures.

Conclusion: PD may increase risk for certain adverse outcomes depending on procedure type. This study provides data with implications in healthcare delivery, policy, and research regarding a patient population that will grow as our population ages and justifies further investigation in future prospective studies.