Complication Pattern of Sacral Primary Tumor Resection: A Study on the Risk Factors of Surgical Site Infection and Bowel or Bladder Dysfunction and Their Associations with Length of Hospital Stay

Abstract

Study Design: Retrospective open cohort study.Purpose: The current study aimed to explore the pattern of complications after primary sacral tumor resection, to investigate the possible effect of several perioperative parameters on the development of complications, and to identify which complications are associated with the length of hospital stay (LOS).Overview of Literature: Primary sacral tumor (pST) resection is associated with a high complication rate. However, the number of studies on these complications and their effect on LOS is limited.Methods: The clinical data of 140 patients with pST surgeries and 106 subsequent patients with local recurrence surgeries in four subgroups (index surgery, local recurrence surgery, malignant, and benign tumor) were prospectively collected and analyzed. The prognostic value of several perioperative factors on the development of surgical site infection (SSI), bowel and bladder dysfunction (BBD), and LOS was investigated using the logistic and linear regression models.Results: The overall complication rates were 61.2% after index surgeries and 50.9% after local recurrence surgeries. The most frequent complications were SSI, vegetative dysfunction, urinary tract infections, and neurological deterioration. Age >55 years, malignant tumors, and red blood cell transfusion had a predictive effect on the development of SSI in the logistic model (<i>p</i><0.01, <i>R²</i>=0.43). Bilateral S2 or S3 resection commonly caused postoperative BBD (chi-square test=62.5, degrees of freedom=4, <i>p</i><0.001). In the multiple linear regression model, wound dehiscence, BBD, systemic and urinary tract infection, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and neurologic deterioration were associated with a significantly long LOS (<i>p</i><0.01, <i>R²</i>=0.62).Conclusions: Surgical resection of pSTs has a high complication rate. Its common complications are SSI and BBD, both of which can have a significant influence on global therapeutic outcome. Malignant tumor diagnosis, old age, and red blood cell transfusion can remarkably increase the risk of SSI. Further, the development of BBD is significantly associated with the number of resected sacral nerve roots. By decreasing perioperative complications, LOS can decrease significantly.