Medscape Today is reporting on a study from the September 1st issue of
Spine which stated that greater use of spine fusion surgery and new
surgical techniques have actually resulted in an increase in lumbar
spine re-operation rates.

Apparently the authors of the study expected
the opposite would have been the case. Rates from 1990 – 1993 were
compared with rates from 1997 – 2000 with about 25,000 patients in
each cohort. Between the two time periods the prevalence of fusion
increased from 9.4% to 19.1% while the 4-year cumulative incidence of
re-operation rose from 12.4% to 14%. Fusion patients treated between
1997 and 2000 were 40% more likely to undergo re-operation within the
first year than those patients treated between 1990 and 1993.

Brook I. Martin, lead author from the University of Washington in Seattle,
stated that surgeons “should be alarmed by the rising rates of
re-operation” and should be more careful to select patients whom
surgery will most likely benefit. Furthermore, doctors should inform
their patients that “surgery involves substantial risk for subsequent
operations.”

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