Reoperation, Readmission, and Discharge Disposition for Patients With Degenerative Lumbar Pathology Treated With Either Open or Minimally Invasive Techniques: A Single-Center Retrospective Review of 1435 Cases.

Background: Spine surgery has been transformed by the growth of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures. Previous studies agree that MIS has shorter hospitalization and faster recovery time when compared to conventional open surgery. However, the reoperation and readmission rates between the 2 techniques have yet to be well characterized.

Objective: To evaluate the rate of subsequent revision between MIS and open techniques for degenerative lumbar pathology.

Methods: A total of 1435 adult patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery between 2013 and 2016 were included in this retrospective analysis. The rates of need for subsequent reoperation, 30- and 90-d readmission, and discharge to rehabilitation were recorded for both MIS and traditional open techniques. Groups were divided into decompression alone and decompression with fusion.

Results: The rates of subsequent reoperation following MIS and open surgery were 10.4% and 12.2%, respectively (P = .32), which were maintained when subdivided into decompression and decompression with fusion. MIS and open 30-d readmission rates were 7.9% and 7.2% (P = .67), while 90-d readmission rates were 4.3% and 3.6% (P = .57), respectively. Discharge to rehabilitation was significantly lower for patients under 60 yr of age undergoing MIS (1.64% vs 5.63%, P = .04).

Conclusion: The use of minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of lumbar spine pathology does not result in increased reoperation or 30- and 90-d readmission rates when compared to open approaches. Patients under the age of 60 yr undergoing MIS procedures were less likely to be discharged to rehab.