Racial Disparities in Surgical Outcomes After Spine Surgery: An ACS-NSQIP Analysis

Abstract

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Objectives: Racial disparities in postoperative outcomes are unfortunately common. We present data assessing race as an independent risk factor for postoperative complications after spine surgery for Native American (NA) and African American (AA) patients compared with Caucasians (CA). Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was queried for spine procedures performed in 2015. Data was subdivided by surgery, demography, comorbidity, and 30-day postoperative outcomes, which were then compared by race. Regression was performed holding race as an independent risk factor. Results: A total of 4803 patients (4106 CA, 522 AA, 175 NA) were included in this analysis. AA patients experienced longer length of stay (LOS) and operative times (P