Unadjusted 30-d postoperative outcomes in American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program patients undergoing posterior cervical decompression with or without fusion.
| Variable | Normal | Moderate | Severe | P |
| Any postoperative complication | 700 (14.1%) | 304 (20.9%) | 415 (35.1%) | <0.001 |
| Death | 45 (0.9%) | 35 (2.4%) | 82 (6.9%) | <0.001 |
| Return to operating room | 180 (3.6%) | 71 (4.9%) | 92 (7.8%) | <0.001 |
| Sepsis/septic shock | 69 (1.4%) | 31 (2.1%) | 83 (7.0%) | <0.001 |
| Minor complication | 507 (10.2%) | 206 (14.2%) | 288 (24.3%) | <0.001 |
| Surgical site infection | 97 (2.0%) | 36 (2.5%) | 38 (3.2%) | 0.027 |
| Wound disruption | 31 (0.6%) | 13 (0.9%) | 7 (0.6%) | 0.505 |
| Urinary tract infection | 131 (2.6%) | 53 (3.7%) | 62 (5.2%) | <0.001 |
| Intraoperative transfusion | 293 (5.9%) | 130 (9.0%) | 212 (17.9%) | <0.001 |
| Extended length of stay (≥5 d) | 1213 (24.5%) | 532 (36.6%) | 693 (58.5%) | <0.001 |
Note: P values in boldface indicate statistically significant comparisons.