Open AccessPerioperative Risk of the Sitting Position for Elective Posterior Cervical Spine Surgery: A Retrospective Case Series
Author(s) -
Redi Rahmani,
Stephen Susa,
Stephen Sandwell,
Kristopher T. Kimmell,
Paul K. Maurer,
Howard J. Silberstein,
Jacob W. Nadler,
Kevin A. Walter
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
neurosurgery open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2633-0873
DOI - 10.1093/neuopn/okaa009
Subject(s) - medicine , sitting , perioperative , deep vein , pulmonary embolism , thrombosis , surgery , venous thrombosis , incidence (geometry) , retrospective cohort study , complication , physics , pathology , optics
BACKGROUND The sitting cervical position for elective posterior cervical decompression and fusion affords advantages over prone positioning, but remains unpopular due to concerns about venous air embolism (VAE). OBJECTIVE To demonstrate the safety and efficacy of sitting cervical surgery in our series and in the literature. METHODS To evaluate the incidence of complications, we retrospectively identified all adult patients who underwent elective sitting posterior cervical surgeries at our institution from 2009 to 2014. Using International Classification of Diseases-9 coding, we searched for incidences of air embolism, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis. Operative time, estimated blood loss, and case type distribution were also recorded. We then calculated the incidence of clinically significant VAE in sitting cervical surgeries. RESULTS Between 2009 and 2014, 558 surgeries were performed in the sitting cervical position. No VAE was identified. The average operative time was 1 h 25 min. A total of 30-d perioperative complications among sitting position patients included 3 myocardial infarctions, 1 pulmonary embolism attributed to venous thrombosis, and 2 patients with deep venous thrombosis for a total cardiovascular complication rate of 1.1%. The incidence of clinically significant VAE in the literature is 1.5%. CONCLUSION We present the second largest case series to date on the sitting position for cervical surgeries, highlighting its safety and efficacy. This position provides a surgical field with superior visualization, allowing decreased operative time and blood loss. The risk of clinically significant VAE is low. Intraoperative monitoring for these events with less invasive means is safe and effective.