Generic versus disease-specific adverse event reporting: a comparison of the NSQIP and SAVES databases for the identification of acute care adverse events in adult spine surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The accurate identification and reporting of adverse events (AEs) is crucial for quality improvement. A myriad of AE systems are utilized. There is a lack of understanding of the differences between prospective versus retrospective, disease-specific versus generic, and point-of-care versus chart-abstracted systems. The objective of this study was to compare the benefits and limitations between the prospective, disease-specific, point-of-care Spine Adverse Events Severity System (SAVES) and the retrospective, generic, and chart-abstracted National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) for the identification and reporting of AEs in adult patients undergoing spinal surgery. METHODS: The authors conducted an observational ambidirectional cohort study of adult patients undergoing spine surgery other than for trauma between 2011 and 2019 in a quaternary spine center. Patients were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes in the NSQIP database and matched using unique medical record numbers to their corresponding record in SAVES. The incidence of AEs and per-patient AEs as recorded in NSQIP and SAVES was the primary outcome of interest. Comparable AEs were identified by matching NSQIP AEs to equivalent ones in SAVES. Chi-square tests were used to test for significant differences in the incidence of overall and comparable AEs between the databases. RESULTS: There were 2198 patients identified in NSQIP, of whom 2033 also had complete records in SAVES. SAVES identified 5342 individual AEs in 1484 patients (73%) compared with 1291 individual AEs in 807 patients (39.7%) with the NSQIP database (p < 0.001). SAVES identified 250 intraoperative and 422 postoperative spine-specific AEs that NSQIP did not record. NSQIP captured a greater number of AEs beyond 30 days, including prolonged length of stay > 30 days, unplanned readmission, unplanned reoperation, and death later than 30 days after surgery compared with SAVES. CONCLUSIONS: SAVES captures a greater incidence of peri- and intraoperative spine-specific AEs than NSQIP, while NSQIP identifies a greater number of AEs beyond 30 days. While a prospective, disease-specific, point-of-care AE system such as SAVES is specific for guiding quality improvement in spine surgery, it incurs greater time and financial costs. Conversely, a retrospective, generic, and chart-abstracted system such as NSQIP provides equivocal cross-institutional comparability with reduced time and financial costs. Specific contextual and aim-specific needs should guide the choice and implementation of an AE system.

Spinal Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma: Case Report and Literature Review.

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is an uncommon central nervous system neoplasm with an overall favorable survival prognosis. Metastatic spread of PXA to the spinal cord and the cauda equina is rare and may have a different clinicopathologic course. Treatment and prognostic outcomes, in this context, are not well defined. We discuss a case of a 30-year-old patient with known cerebral PXA presenting with metastatic spinal anaplastic PXA and present a literature analysis of treatment outcomes.

Perioperative care for lumbar microdiscectomy: a survey of Australasian neurosurgeons.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar microdiscectomy is the most commonly performed spine surgery procedure. Over time it has evolved to a minimally invasive procedure. Traditionally patients were advised to restrict activity following lumbar spine surgery. However, post-operative instructions are heterogeneous. The purpose of this report is to assess, by survey, the perioperative care practices of Australasian neurosurgeons in the minimally invasive era. METHODS: A survey was conducted by email invitation sent to all full members of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia (NSA). This consisted of 11 multi-choice questions relating to operative indications, technique, and post-operative instructions for lumbar microdiscectomy answered by an electronically distributed anonymized online survey. RESULTS: The survey was sent to all Australasian Neurosurgeons. In total, 68 complete responses were received (28.9%). Most surgeons reported they would consider a period of either 4 to 8 weeks (42.7%) or 8 to 12 weeks (32.4%) as the minimum duration of radicular pain adequate to offer surgery. Unilateral muscle dissection with unilateral discectomy was practiced by 76.5%. Operative microscopy was the most commonly employed method of magnification (76.5%). The majority (55.9%) always refer patients to undergo inpatient physiotherapy. Sitting restrictions were advised by 38.3%. Lifting restrictions were advised by 83.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Australasian neurosurgical lumbar microdiscectomy perioperative care practices are generally consistent with international practices and demonstrate a similar degree of heterogeneity. Recommendation of post-operative activity restrictions by Australasian neurosurgeons is still common. This suggests a role for the investigation of the necessity of such restrictions in the era of minimally invasive spine surgery.

Ovine Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Model Utilizing a Lateral Retroperitoneal Drill Bit Injury.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is a significant contributor to the development of back pain and the leading cause of disability worldwide. Numerous animal models of intervertebral disc degeneration have been developed. The ideal animal model should closely mimic the human intervertebral disc with regard to morphology, biomechanical properties and the absence of notochordal cells. The sheep lumbar intervertebral disc model fulfils these criteria. We present an ovine model of intervertebral disc degeneration utilizing a drill bit injury through a lateral retroperitoneal approach. The lateral approach significantly reduces the incision and potential morbidity associated with the traditional anterior approach to the ovine spine. Utilization of a drill-bit method of injury affords the ability to produce a consistent and reproducible injury, of precise dimensions, that initiates a consistent degree of intervertebral disc degeneration. The focal nature of the annular and nucleus pulposus defect more closely mimics the clinical condition of focal intervertebral disc herniation. Sheep recover rapidly following this procedure and are typically mobile and eating within the hour. Intervertebral disc degeneration ensues and sheep undergo necropsy and subsequent analysis at periods from eight weeks. We believe that the drill bit injury model of intervertebral disc degeneration offers advantages over more conventional annular injury models.