Complications of Thoracolumbar Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery

» Adult spinal deformity (ASD) is a challenging problem for spine surgeons given the high risk of complications, both medical and surgical. » Surgeons should have a high index of suspicion for medical complications, including cardiac, pulmonary, thromboembolic, genitourinary and gastrointestinal, renal, cognitive and psychiatric, and skin conditions, in the perioperative period and have a low threshold for involving specialists. » Surgical complications, including neurologic injuries, vascular injuries, proximal junctional kyphosis, durotomy, and pseudarthrosis and rod fracture, can be devastating for the patient and costly to the health-care system. » Mortality rates have been reported to be between 1.0% and 3.5% following ASD surgery. » With the increasing rate of ASD surgery, surgeons should properly counsel patients about these risks and have a high index of suspicion for complications in the perioperative period.