Table 2.
Major medical complications, wound complications, and mortality following surgery for lumbar stenosis, by patient demographic characteristics, functional status, and health habits.
| Characteristic | Values | n | Major Medical Complications, n (%) | Wound Complications, n (%) | 90-day mortality, n (%) | Life - Threatening Complications, n (%)† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall sample | 12154 | 253 (2.1) | 391 (3.2) | 79 (0.6) | 286 (2.4) | |
| Age category | <50 | 1487 | 11 (0.7)‡ | 60 (4.0)‡ | 7 (0.5)‡ | 16 (1.1)‡ |
| 50–59 | 3580 | 53 (1.5) | 113 (3.2) | 11 (0.3) | 60 (1.7) | |
| 60–69 | 3752 | 79 (2.1) | 108 (2.9) | 19 (0.5) | 83 (2.2) | |
| 70–79 | 2734 | 86 (3.2) | 90 (3.3) | 32 (1.2) | 99 (3.6) | |
| ≥80 | 601 | 24 (4.0) | 20 (3.3) | 10 (1.7) | 28 (4.7) | |
| Race/ethnicity* | White | 8050 | 177 (2.2) | 264 (3.3) | 51 (0.6) | 197 (2.5) |
| Black | 1346 | 28 (2.1) | 45 (3.3) | 13 (1.0) | 33 (2.5) | |
| Other | 1639 | 24 (1.5) | 52 (3.2) | 8 (0.5) | 30 (1.8) | |
| Functional Health status | Independent | 11670 | 228 (2.0)‡ | 369 (3.4) | 70 (0.6)‡ | 257 (2.2)‡ |
| At least partially dependent | 484 | 25 (5.2) | 22 (4.5) | 9 (1.9) | 29 (6.0) | |
| Smoker within past year** | No | 7872 | 171(2.2) | 231 (2.9) ‡ | 55 (0.7) | 191(2.4) |
| Yes | 4248 | 81(1.9) | 157 (3.7) | 24 (0.6) | 94(2.2) |
*
1119 cases (9.2%) missing
**
34 cases (0.3%) missing
†
Life-threatening complications included the category of major medical complications within 30 days or death within 90 days (often co-existing)
‡
Differences among categories are statisfically significant (p<0.05)