Effects of Decompressive Cervical Surgery on Blood Pressure in Cervical Spondylosis Patients With Hypertension: A Time Series Cohort Study

Background The blood pressure of cervical spondylosis (CS) patients with hypertension often returns to normal after decompressive cervical surgery (DCS). However, the effect of DCS on the blood pressure of patients with CS has not been rigorously studied.

Methods We recruited 50 consecutive CS patients with hypertension from 2014–2017 and investigated the changes in blood pressure after DCS using a time series design. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed at 3 and 0 days before DCS and at 30 and 90 days after DCS. The primary outcome was mean 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP). Secondary outcomes included mean 24-hour diastolic blood pressure (DBP), office blood pressure, and the percentage of patients on antihypertensive medication. Paired t test was used for assessing the changes in blood pressure over time and a McNemar test was used for comparison among different medication groups.

Results The mean 24-hour SBP did not vary significantly among 4 time points (134.5 ± 14.7, 132.8 ± 14.7, 131.5 ± 13.3, and 133.2 ± 14.6, respectively; P = .42). The mean 24-hour DBP showed a similar trend. However, mean office SBP/DBP decreased significantly from 142.5/82.0 mm Hg before surgery to 127.3/76.6 mm Hg after surgery (both P < .01). The corresponding percentage of patients on antihypertensive medication decreased significantly, from 84% to 54% (P < .01).

Conclusions This study confirmed previous findings of reduction in office blood pressure associated with DCS among CS patients with hypertension. However, this was not confirmed by multiple-time series of 24-hour ABPM.

Level of Evidence 3.