Impact of Antidepressant Use on Intraoperative Blood Loss and Transfusion Rates in Lumbar Fusion Surgery.

Objective: A quarter of spine surgery patients take antidepressants. Basic science research has suggested serotonergic antidepressants impair platelet function. This has been supported by only a small number of works in the setting of spine surgery.

Postoperative Ketamine May be Associated with Venous Thromboembolism in Chronic Opioid Users After Spine Surgery.

Objective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious postoperative adverse event after spine surgery. In patients with pain refractory to typical multimodal analgesia regimens after spine surgery, whom are often chronic opioid users, perioperative ketamine is an alternative analgesic that has grown in popularity. The aim of this study is to assess the risk of VTE in chronic opioid users undergoing spine surgery.

Opioid Prescription Trends Among Orthopaedic, Primary Care, and Pain Management Providers in Spine Surgery Patients.

Objective: To determine prescription trends across specialties in the perioperative care of patients undergoing spine surgery from 2018 to 2021.

Summary Of Background Data: A range of measures, including implementation of state prescription drug monitoring programs, have been instituted to combat the opioid epidemic. Considering the continued presence of opioids for spine-related pain management, a better understanding of the patterns of opioid prescription practices may be important for future intervention.

An evaluation of fusion status following lumbar fusion surgery utilizing multi-planar computed tomography.

Purpose: To report the rate of fusion in a sample of patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery and assess interrater reliability of computed tomography (CT)-based parameters for the assessment of fusion.

Methods: All adult patients who underwent lumbar fusion surgery from 2017 to 2021 were retrospectively identified. Patient demographics and surgical characteristics were collected through chart review of the electronic medical records.

The Impact of Outpatient Physical Therapy on Patient-Reported Outcomes After Lumbar Fusion: Perspective from A Bundled Care Dataset.

Objective/background: As value-based care grows in popularity across the United States, more payers have turned toward bundled payment models for surgical procedures. Though episode costs in spine are highly variable, physical therapy (PT) has been identified as a driver of 90-day cost. The goal of this study is to assess the impact of postoperative PT on patient-reported outcomes and cost after lumbar fusion surgery using bundled insurance data.

The Impact of the Preoperative Mental Health Component Summary (MCS) Score on Short-term Outcomes after Lumbar Fusion.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to characterize the relationship between preoperative MCS and surgical outcomes after lumbar spine surgery including inpatient complications, length of stay, readmissions, and reoperations.

Summary Of Background Data: As the prevalence of mental health disorders in the United States increases, it is important to identify risks associated with poor mental health status in the surgical spine patient.