Performance of successful ambulatory cervical spine surgery: safety, efficacy, and early experiences of first 100 cases in Poland

Abstract

Background Ambulatory anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a promising method, but not common in Poland. Objective That is why the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the experience of performing ACDF in patients with degenerative spinal diseases. Methods This study at the Spine Centre involved a single-center, multi-surgeon evaluation of 100 patients undergoing ACDF. Results Outcomes assessed included pain severity, measured by the visual analogue scale, which improved from 4.28 ± 0.76 preoperatively to 1.11 ± 0.59 one month postoperatively. The Core Outcome Measures Index-neck (COMI-neck) scale also showed significant improvement: before surgery, 30% of patients scored their condition severity between 4-6, and 70% scored 7-10; 6 months postoperatively, the scores were 0-3 for 55% of patients, 4-6 for 45%, and 7-10 for none. Only 2% of patients experienced moderate, temporary complications, with no serious complications or postoperative hematomas observed. Conclusion The study supports the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of performing ACDF in an ambulatory setting, suggesting that with appropriate patient selection and surgical protocols, ambulatory ACDF can be more broadly implemented.