• Chad F Claus, Evan Lytle, Doris Tong, Matthew Bahoura, Lucas Garmo, Elise Yoon, Jacob Jasinski, Ascher Kaufmann, Boyd Richards, and Teck M Soo.
• Division of Neurosurgery, Ascension Providence Hospital, Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, Southfield, MI.
• Spine. 2020 Jun 1; 45 (11): 735-740.

Study DesignThis was a single-institute retrospective study.ObjectiveTo describe perioperative and postoperative complications in elderly who underwent multilevel minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF) while identifying predictors of complications.Summary Of Background DataThe number of elderly patients undergoing spinal fusion is rising. Spinal surgery in the elderly is considered high risk with high rates of complications. Perioperative and postoperative complications in elderly undergoing multilevel MIS TLIF is, however, not known.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on 467 consecutive patients who underwent multilevel MIS TLIF at a single institution from 2013 to 2017. Two cohorts, 70 years or older and 50 to 69 years old were analyzed. Multiple logistic regressions with minor and major complication rates as the dependent variables were performed to identify predictors of complication based on previously cited risk factors. A p-value of 0.008 or less was considered significant.ResultsOne hundred fifty-two elderly and 315 nonelderly patients underwent multilevel MIS TLIFs. The average age was 76.4 and 60.4 years for the elderly and nonelderly cohorts. We observed 13 major (8.44%) and 72 minor (47.4%) complications in the elderly. No difference was noted in complication rates between the cohorts, except for urinary tract infection (P = .004) and urinary retention (P = .014). There were no myocardial infarctions; hardware complications; visceral, vascular, and neural injuries; or death. Length of stay, comorbidity, and length of surgery were predictive of major and minor complications.ConclusionElderly may undergo multilevel MIS TLIF with comparable complication rates. Age was not a predictor of complications. Rather, attention should focus on evaluation of comorbidity and limiting operative times.Level Of Evidence3.

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