Table 3.
Complications, readmissions and their cost increase (beyond the original hospitalization length of stay and operating room cost, in US dollars) in the TLIF device and control groups
| Group | Complication/readmission description | Main cost elements | Cost increase estimation by the financial department | Cost increase estimation using the literature review results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | SSI | Readmission for 52 days, additional surgery, extensive use of drugs and antibiotics | $61,970 | $62,740 = $33,085 (TLIF SSI) + $29,655 (additional hospitalization days) |
| Remaining disc fragments | Readmission, additional surgery | $12,212 | $17,206 (spinal fusion average readmission cost) | |
| Dural tear and infection | Drain placement, multiple readmissions, additional MRI, antibiotics | $14,465 | $13,628 = $4402 (tear in one- and two-level lumbar fusions) + $9226 (cost of 14 days of hospitalization during readmissions) | |
| Retroperitoneal hematoma | Observation | |||
| Device | Dural tear (not device related) | Readmission for 6 days, additional surgery | $6179 | $4402 (tear in one- and two-level lumbar fusions) |
| Dural tear (not device related) | Observation | |||
| Suspected CSF leak | Drain placement and observation | |||
| Rectal abscess, potentially due to enema use at the original hospitalization | Readmission for 1 day | $884 | $659 | |
| SSI | Readmission for 11 days, additional surgery, extensive use of drugs and antibiotics | $15,316 | $33,085 (TLIF SSI) |
CSF cerebrospinal fluid, MRI magnetic resonance imaging, SSI surgical site infection, TLIF transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion