OBJECTIVE

To analyze the relationship between age and perioperative complications of spine surgery in a Japanese cohort with the longest average life expectancy in the world.

METHODS

Patients with spinal stenosis who underwent standard spine surgery without instrumented fusion were divided into 4 groups: adults (20-64 years), the young-old (65-74), the middle old (75-84), and the oldest-old (≥85). Data on medical complications, surgical complications, and deaths within 30 days of index surgery were compared across the groups. Risk factors for complications were identified through multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 584 patients underwent 673 operations: 35% were performed on adult patients, 33% on the young-old, 27% on the middle old, and 5% on the oldest-old. The rates of total or [major] medical complications significantly increased with age (8% [0.8%], 11% [0.9%], 27% [3.9%], 45% [9.1%], respectively; p<0.001 [p=0.003]), whereas those of surgical complications did not differ (11%, 8.1%, 14%, 9.1%, respectively; p=0.25). Independent risk factors for medical complications were an age of 75 years or older (75-84: odds ratio [OR], 5.1; ≥85: OR, 6.2) and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification III (OR, 5.4). Two patients older than 85 years died from medical complications.

CONCLUSION

The complications of spine surgery increased in the middle and oldest-old patients because of medical complications; however, most were minor and treatable. Major complications were associated with preoperative medical comorbidities and their severities; therefore, most elderly patients with low ASA physical status classification (≤II) may benefit from spine surgery.