Complications Associated with Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion in Elderly

, Junseok W Hur; , Jung Yul Park

Clinical Article

Journal of Korean Society of Geriatric Neurosurgery 2012;8(2):119-123.
Published online December 30, 2012.

Complications Associated with Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion in Elderly

Junseok W Hur , Jung Yul Park

Department of Neurosurgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Objective
The goal of our study is to find out complications associated with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in elderly, and consider it’s preventions.
Methods
In a retrospective study, 138 patients (78 males and 60 females) who underwent anterior approach cervical operation were evaluated. The patients’ age ranged between 60 and 78 years (mean, 68.1 years). Operative reports, hospital and outpatient clinic charts, and radiographic studies were reviewed for procedure-related complications. Mean follow-up period was 9.3 months.
Results
The mortality rate in our current series was 0%. Overall morbidity rate was 6.5% (9 of 138 patients). The most common complication was the development of hardware failure, which observed in 5.1% of our patients. Postoperative hematoma occurred in 0.7%, who required surgical intervention. Symptomatic recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in 1.4%. Wound infection occurred in 0.7%.
Conclusion
Postoperative hardware failure was the most common complication in our series. There are numerous osteoporotic patients in elderly, so this was suspected as a major factor of these results. We should be aware of hardware failure, high risk complication, when we operate ACDF in elderly.

Key Words: ElderlyㆍAnteriorㆍCervicalㆍDiscectomyㆍComplicationㆍOsteoporosis