Functional Neurological Disorder is Associated with Postoperative Complications After ACDF: A Retrospective Propensity-Matched Analysis.
Functional neurological disorder linked to higher odds of dysphagia after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery.
Functional Neurological Disorder is Associated with Postoperative Complications After ACDF: A Retrospective Propensity-Matched Analysis.
Psychiatric comorbidities are associated with worse postoperative outcomes after cervical spine surgery, yet the impact of Functional Neurological Disorder (Functional Neurological Disorder), a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by involuntary neurologic symptoms, has not been investigated.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between Functional Neurological Disorder and perioperative and long-term complications following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (anterior cervical discectomy and fusion).
Were stratified into cohorts based on the presence or absence of Functional Neurological Disorder prior to surgery.
functional neurological disorder roughly doubled the odds of post-surgery swallowing trouble
89,338 patients underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, and 502 (0.56%) had Functional Neurological Disorder.
At 2 years, Functional Neurological Disorder patients had greater odds of pseudoarthrosis (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.05-2.11, p = 0.026) and opioid use disorder (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.11-5.01, p = 0.021).
Functional Neurological Disorder was associated with increased perioperative and long-term complications following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, including dysphagia, surgical site infection, pseudoarthrosis, and opioid use disorder.
Preoperative identification of Functional Neurological Disorder may enable targeted perioperative management and multidisciplinary follow-up to mitigate risk in this complex population.