Table 4.
Complications of 43 patients
| Patient number | Diagnosis | Intraoperative | Postoperative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | SS | None | None |
| 17 | SS | None | Diarrhea postoperative Day 5; + for Clostridium difficile; AB given |
| 28 | SS | None | None |
| 33 | SS | None | None |
| 34 | SS | None | None |
| 36 | SS | None | None |
| 40 | SS | None | None |
| 10 | GK | NMEP loss; larger cage placed, subluxation reduced | None |
| 15 | GK | None | Respiratory distress; emergent tracheostomy |
| 21 | GK | No SCM possible; failed wakeup test; larger cage placed | Bilateral LE subjective “numbness”; subsided by 1 month postoperatively; foot drop resolved 2 weeks postoperatively |
| 23 | GK | None | Left pulmonary effusion; resolved |
| 24 | GK | None | 2 years postoperative; revision PSF with PSO for coronal and sagittal imbalance |
| 26 | GK | None | Pleural effusion; started diuretics, resolved; 2 years postoperatively; contained DWI; crosslink removal and AB treatment |
| 27 | GK | None | None |
| 29 | GK | None | None |
| 37 | GK | None | None |
| 39 | GK | None | Respiratory failure; reintubation × 2 days |
| 41 | GK | None | None |
| 42 | GK | None | None |
| 3 | AK | None | None |
| 4 | AK | Chronic draining sinus | |
| 5 | AK | None | DVT right leg; Lovenox therapy (enoxaparin sodium injection; Sanofi-Aventis Inc, Bridgewater, NJ) |
| 6 | AK | None | None |
| 7 | AK | None | None |
| 9 | AK | No SCM | None |
| 11 | AK | NMEP loss; larger cage placed | None |
| 13 | AK | Left quad palsy noted on wakeup test; left L2-L3 roots re-explored | Decreased strength left quad; normal by 6 months postoperatively; revision PSF with PSO below VCR to improve sagittal alignment at 2 years postoperatively |
| 18 | AK | None | PJK; no treatment needed, asymptomatic |
| 43 | AK | None | None |
| 1 | KS | None | None |
| 2 | KS | None | None |
| 8 | KS | None | Prolonged ileus |
| 14 | KS | None | None |
| 16 | KS | None | Tongue swelling; small area of necrosis; resolved |
| 19 | KS | None | Pleural effusion; no CT needed |
| 20 | KS | None | 4 days in ICU secondary to low blood pressure, left pleural effusion; resolved; 2 years postoperatively; rod fracture, asymptomatic |
| 22 | KS | None | None |
| 25 | KS | NMEP loss; reduced subluxation | Respiratory failure; mechanical vent × 4 days |
| 30 | KS | None | None |
| 31 | KS | None | None |
| 32 | KS | None | None |
| 35 | KS | NMEP loss; reduced subluxation | Brachial plexus palsy; resolved by 6 weeks postoperatively |
| 38 | KS | NMEP/SSEP loss; failed wakeup test; right LE procedure aborted, normal final wakeup test; procedure performed 1 week later without problems | Left pleural effusions; bilateral chest tube placement |
SS = severe scoliosis; GK = global kyphosis; AK = angular kyphosis; KS = kyphoscoliosis; AB = antibiotics; SCM = spinal cord monitoring; SSEP = somotosensory evoked potentials; LE = lower extremities; DVT = diverticulitis; PSF = posterior spinal fusion; PSO = pedicle subtraction osteotomy; DWI = deep wound infection; PJK = proximal junctional kyphosis; VCR = vertebral column resection; CT = computed tomography; ICU = intensive care unit.