Cerebrovascular Complications in Spinal Fusion Surgery: A Nationwide 8-year Follow-up Study in South Korea

This retrospective study investigated the long-term incidence and risk of postoperative complications following spinal fusion. This study included 640,366 participants from a National Health Examination cohort in the Republic of Korea. Among them, 11,699 individuals underwent spinal fusion, and 56,667 individuals who underwent non-fusion spinal procedures served as controls. Propensity score matching was used to account for patient characteristics including demographic factors, comorbidities, and other relevant variables. The participants were followed for 8 years to assess the occurrence of cerebrovascular disease (CVD), hemorrhagic infarction (HA), ischemic infarction (II), occlusion and stenosis, and ischemic heart disease (IHD). The incidence rates of CVD and IHD were found to be 27.58 and 31.45 per 1,000 person-years in the spinal fusion group compared to 18.68 and 25.73 per 1,000 person-years in the control group (p < .001), respectively. Patients who underwent spinal fusion had a higher risk of CVD, HA, and IHD than those in the control group (all p < .001). In the subgroup analysis, thoracolumbar and noncervical spinal fusion were associated with a higher risk of CVD, II, and IHD (all p < .005). Patients undergoing thoracolumbar fusion may have an increased association with CVD, II in cerebral arteries, and IHD. This suggests a need for careful consideration of vascular risks in such patient populations.