Return to work after adult spinal deformity surgery
Brian J Neuman 1, Kevin Y Wang 1, Andrew B Harris 1, Micheal Raad 1, Richard A Hostin 2, Themisctocles S Protopsaltis 3, Christopher P Ames 4, Peter G Passias 3, Munish C Gupta 5, Eric O Klineberg 6, Robert Hart 7, Shay Bess 8, Khaled M Kebaish 9; International Spine Study Group
PMID: 36219391 DOI: 10.1007/s43390-022-00552-2
Abstract
Purpose: To determine the proportions of patients returning to work at various points after adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery and the associations between surgical invasiveness and time to return to work.
Methods: Using a multicenter database of patients treated surgically for ASD from 2008 to 2015, we identified 188 patients (mean age 51 ± 15 years) who self-reported as employed preoperatively and had 2-year follow-up. Per the ASD-Surgical and Radiographical Invasiveness Index (ASD-SR), 118 patients (63%) underwent high-invasiveness (HI) surgery (ASD-SR ≥ 100) and 70 (37%) had low-invasiveness (LI) surgery (ASD-SR < 100). Patients who self-reported ≥ 75% normal level of work/school activity were considered to be working full time. Chi-squared and Fisher exact tests were used to compare categorical variables (α = .05).
Results: Preoperatively, 69% of employed patients worked full time. Postoperatively, 15% of employed patients were full time at 6 weeks, 70% at 6 months, 83% at 1 year, and 84% at 2 years. Percentage of employed patients working full time at 2 years was greater than preoperatively (p < .001); percentage of patients returning to full time at 6 weeks was lower in the HI (5%) than in the LI group (19%) (p = .03), a difference not significant at later points.
Conclusions: Most adults returned to full-time work after ASD surgery. A smaller percentage of patients in the HI group than in the LI group returned to full-time work at 6 weeks. Patients employed full time preoperatively will likely return to full-time employment after ASD surgery.
Level of evidence: III.
Keywords: Adult Spinal Deformity Surgical and Radiographical Invasiveness Index; Adult spinal deformity; Employment; Return to work; Surgical invasiveness.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Scoliosis Research Society.
