Preoperative Risk Factors Affecting Outcome in Surgically Treated Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of severe complications in patients following surgery for pyogenic spondylodiscitis (PS) using a surgeon-maintained database. The secondary aim was to investigate the predictors of early recovery. METHODS: We introduced a surgeon-maintained database of prospectively collected multicenter data that mainly focused on perioperative complications in 2012. Our surgeon-maintained database allows the retrospective collection of detailed data. We analyzed 143 patients who underwent surgery for PS from the 19,056 patients in the prospective surgeon-maintained database at 27 affiliated institutions between 2013 and 2017. Data relating to preoperative patient factors, infection factors, surgical factors, and pre- and postoperative blood tests was retrospectively collected. We performed multivariate regression analysis to evaluate the predictors of postoperative severe complications and early recovery in patients with PS. RESULTS: High updated Charlson comorbidity index (uCCI), chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes, Gram-negative bacteria, pyogenic osteoarthritis, high preoperative white blood cell count, and low preoperative platelet count were significantly associated with severe complications in patients undergoing surgery for PS. A high uCCI was the sole independent negative predictor on early recovery. CONCLUSION: Careful perioperative management is necessary if surgery is performed on patients who are at a high risk of life-threatening events.