Interspinous device versus laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis: a comparative effectiveness study.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Currently no studies directly compare effectiveness between interspinous devices (IDs) and laminectomy in lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients. PURPOSE: To compare reoperations, complications, and costs between LSS patients undergoing ID placement versus laminectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective comparative study. PATIENT SAMPLE: The MarketScan database (2007-2009) was queried for adults with LSS undergoing ID placement as a primary inpatient procedure. OUTCOME MEASURES: Reoperation rates, complication rates, and costs. METHODS: Each ID patient was matched with a laminectomy patient using propensity score matching. Reoperations, complications, and costs were analyzed in patients with at least 18 months postoperative follow-up. The authors did not receive funding from any external sources for this study. RESULTS: Among 498 inpatients that underwent ID placement between 2007 and 2009; the average age was 73 years. The cumulative reoperation rates after ID at 12 and 18 months were 21% and 23%, respectively. The average inpatient hospitalization lasted 1.6 days with an associated cost of $17,432. Two propensity-matched cohorts of 174 patients that had undergone ID versus laminectomy were analyzed. Longer length of stay was observed in the laminectomy cohort (2.5 days vs. 1.6 days, p<.0001), whereas ID patients accrued higher costs at index hospitalization ($17,674 vs. $12,670, p=.0001). Index hospitalization (7.5% vs. 3.5%, p=.099) and 90-day (9.2% vs. 3.5%, p=.028) complications were higher in the laminectomy cohort compared with the ID cohort. The ID patients had significantly higher reoperation rates than laminectomy patients at 12 months follow-up (12.6% vs. 5.8%, p=.026) and incurred higher cumulative costs than laminectomy patients at 12 months follow-up ($39,173 vs. $34,324, p=.289). CONCLUSIONS: Twelve-month reoperation rates and index hospitalization costs were significantly higher among patients who underwent ID compared with laminectomy for LSS.

Duke Scholars

Author Shivanand Lad Neurosurgery