Predictive Factors for Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement After Anterior Cervical Fusion

Abstract

Study Design: Retrospective case-control study. Objectives: To identify incidence and risk factors for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement after anterior cervical fusion (ACF). Methods: Adult patients undergoing elective ACF with/without corpectomy for spondylosis from 2002 to 2011 were identified using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. The primary outcome measure was PEG tube placement; secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, total hospital charges, and discharge disposition. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify independent predictors of PEG tube placement. Results: Of 164 097 patients, 217 (0.13%) required a PEG tube. Patients needing PEG tube placement were older (69 vs 52 years; P 65, corpectomy, fusion of ≥3 segments, and various comorbidities. Additionally, there may be increased risk of in-hospital mortality, hospital charges, and nonroutine discharges among these patients.