Risk factors for extended hospital stay following minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion

Background: Prior literature has examined predictors of length of stay (LOS) for lumbar fusion broadly, grouping multiple surgical approaches into one sample. Evaluating minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) specifically can reduce variability introduced by other approaches to effectively identify predictors of LOS. The purpose of this study is to evaluate preoperative predictors of extended LOS in patients undergoing MIS-TLIF. Methods: MIS-TLIF patients were identified from a spine surgeon's database. Preoperative predictors of LOS, including demographics, comorbidity data, spinal pathology, patient-reported back pain, leg pain, physical function, disability, general physical health, mental health, and depressive burden scores were analyzed. Univariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of LOS >= 48 and LOS >= 72 h, a multivariate analysis confirmed significance. Eight-hundred-one patients were included. Results: African-American patients were 4.3 times more likely to have a LOS >= 48 h compared to Caucasians (p <= 0.001). Diagnosis of herniated nucleus pulposus and foraminal stenosis were negative predictors of an LOS >= 72 h (p <= 0.014, both). Self-identified African American patients were approximately twice as likely to have a LOS >= 72 h compared to Caucasians. Preoperative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was positively correlated with LOS >= 48 h (p = 0.008). Other baseline patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were not predictive of LOS >= 48 or 72 h (p > 0.050, all). Conclusions: Further research should explore why different demographic characteristics may be associated with extended postoperative LOS to target interventions toward potential health disparities. Understanding preoperative risk factors can help target increased healthcare costs and improve patient care through tailored interventions and future research.