Impact of Dialysis on Complications, Discharge Outcomes, and Healthcare Costs Following Posterior Cervical Fusion Surgery: A National Database Study.

Authors

• Mitchell K Ng
• Leonidas E Mastrokostas
• Paul G Mastrokostas
• Gregorio Baek
• Jonathan Dalton
• Adam Fano
• Alec Giakas
• Rajendra Singh
• Afshin E Razi
• Daniel R Fassett
• Alan S Hilibrand
• Alexander R Vaccaro
• Gregory D Schroeder
• Christopher K Kepler
• Andrew P Alvarez

Publication/Presentation Date

6-1-2026

Abstract

Study DesignRetrospective cohort study.ObjectiveDialysis dependent patients have been found to have greater healthcare utilization, rates of postoperative complications, and mortality after cervical spine surgery. However, there is a gap in the literature investigating the impact of dialysis dependency on outcomes after posterior cervical decompression and fusion (PCDF) specifically. To compare perioperative outcomes in dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis-dependent patients after PCDF from 2016 to 2022 using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database.MethodsThe NIS was queried for adult patients who were dialysis dependent and underwent PCDF between 2016 and 2022. Data regarding demographics, comorbidities, cost, discharge disposition, hospital characteristics, adverse events, and mortality were collected. Survey-weighted chi-square tests and t-tests were used to compare groups. A multivariable regression was performed to determine whether dialysis dependency was independently predictive of complications, discharge disposition, and inpatient mortality.ResultsOf the 167,995 weighted PCDF admissions identified, 1080 (0.64%) were dialysis dependent. Dialysis patients were more frequently male (66.2% vs 53.0%;

Volume

16

Issue

5

First Page

2263

Last Page

2271

ISSN

2192-5682

Published In/Presented At

Ng, M. K., Mastrokostas, L. E., Mastrokostas, P. G., Baek, G., Dalton, J., Fano, A., Giakas, A., Singh, R., Razi, A. E., Fassett, D. R., Hilibrand, A. S., Vaccaro, A. R., Schroeder, G. D., Kepler, C. K., & Alvarez, A. P. (2026). Impact of Dialysis on Complications, Discharge Outcomes, and Healthcare Costs Following Posterior Cervical Fusion Surgery: A National Database Study. Global spine journal, 16(5), 2263–2271. https://doi.org/10.1177/21925682251403965

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

41338230

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article