Patients discharged to a skilled nursing or inpatient rehabilitation facility after elective lumbar fusion surgery had markedly higher odds of hospital readmission within 90 days.
Does discharge to a SNF or IRF increase the risk of hospital readmission within 90 days following elective lumbar fusion surgery?
Discharge to a SNF or IRF after elective lumbar fusion surgery is associated with higher odds of 90-day hospital readmission, highlighting the importance of discharge planning.
Patients discharged to a SNF or IRF after ELFS had markedly higher odds of readmission within 3 months postoperatively, even after adjusting for patient and surgical factors. However, this association was not observed for ED visits. These findings underscore the need for careful consideration of discharge planning to optimize postoperative outcomes and reduce healthcare utilization following ELFS.
Lu et al. (2026) studied this question. Patients discharged to a skilled nursing or inpatient rehabilitation facility after elective lumbar fusion surgery had markedly higher odds of hospital readmission within 90 days.