Medical/surgical complications within 30 d after lumbar spine surgery.
| Variables, n (%) | 2-Level Fusion (N = 557) | 3-Level Fusion (N = 287) |
| Complication | 43 (7.7%) | 33 (11.5%) |
| Urinary tract infection | 26 (4.7%) | 15 (5.2%) |
| Hematoma | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (0.7%) |
| Neurological deficit | 5 (0.9%) | 4 (1.4%) |
| Pneumonia | 2 (0.4%) | 1 (0.3%) |
| Deep vein thrombosis | 2 (0.4%) | 2 (0.7%) |
| SSI | 14 (2.5%) | 12 (4.2%) |
| SSI treatment | ||
| Oral antibiotics | 6 (42.9%) | 3 (25.0%) |
| IV antibiotics | 2 (14.3%) | 2 (16.7%) |
| Surgical incision and drainage with IV antibiotics | 5 (35.7%) | 6 (50.0%) |
| Readmission | 38 (8.9%) | 22 (9.4%) |
| Reoperation | 12 (2.9%) | 14 (6.1%) |
| Reason for reoperation | ||
| Revised implants | 2 (16.7%) | 2 (14.3%) |
| SSI/wound dehiscence | 5 (41.7%) | 6 (42.9%) |
| Other | 5 (41.7%) | 6 (42.9%) |
Abbreviations: IV, intravenous; SSI, surgical site infection.