Improving Safety and Efficacy in the Surgical Management of Low-tone Neuromuscular Scoliosis: Integrated Approach With a 2-attending Surgeon Operative Team and Modified Anesthesia Protocol.

BACKGROUND

Substantially increased operative time and amount of bleeding may complicate the course of surgical treatment in neuromuscular scoliosis. A well-organized team approach is required to reduce morbidity. The aim of this study is to review our early, short-term surgical outcomes with our new integrated approach that includes a 2-attending surgeon team and modifications in the anesthesia protocol in low-tone neuromuscular scoliosis and compare with a matched cohort of our historic patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed our patients with (1) neuromuscular scoliosis with collapsing spine deformity, (2) low-tone neuromuscular etiology, (3) multilevel posterior column osteotomies with posterior all pedicle screw spinal fusion, and (4) more than 1-year follow-up. Patients were grouped into 2: group 1 consisted of patients managed with the integrated surgical team approach, group 2 included the matched historic patients.

RESULTS

There were 16 patients in group 1 and 17 patients in group 2. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding age, sex, body mass index, number of levels fused, major coronal deformity magnitude, pelvic obliquity, number of posterior column osteotomies, or amount of deformity correction. However, significantly shorter operative time (241 vs. 297 min, P=0.006), less intraoperative bleeding (1082 vs. 1852 mL, P=0.001), less intraoperative blood transfusion (2.1 vs. 3.1 U, P=0.028), less postoperative intensive care unit admission (23% vs. 100%, P=0.001), and shorter hospital stay (4.7 vs. 5.9 d, P=0.013) were observed in group 1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that spinal deformity surgery in patients with underlying low-tone neuromuscular disease may not be as intimidating as previously thought. Our surgical team approach integrating a 2-attending surgeon operative team, a new anesthetic protocol that includes a modification of perioperative blood management is effective in reducing operative times, blood loss, transfusion rates, intensive care unit admission, and length of hospital stay.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level III-retrospective comparative study.