J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2023; 84(04): 405-412
DOI: 10.1055/a-1842-8668
Original Article

MELD-Na Score as a Predictor of Postoperative Complications in Ventral Skull Base Surgery

Liam S. Flanagan
1   Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
,
Chris B. Choi
1   Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
,
Vraj P. Shah
1   Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
,
Aakash D. Shah
1   Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
,
1   Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
,
Jordon G. Grube
1   Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
,
Christina H. Fang
1   Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
,
Soly Baredes
1   Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
2   Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery, Neurological Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
,
1   Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
2   Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery, Neurological Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
3   Department of Neurological Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
4   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States
5   Department of Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery, Saint Barnabas Medical Center - RWJBarnabas Health, Livingston, New Jersey, United States
› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Objective The Model for End-stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na) score was designed for prognosis of chronic liver disease and has been predictive of outcomes in a variety of procedures. Few studies have investigated its utility in otolaryngology. This study uses the MELD-Na score to investigate the association between liver health and ventral skull base surgical complications.

Methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to identify patients who underwent ventral skull base procedures between 2005 and 2015. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the association between elevated MELD-Na score and postoperative complications.

Results We identified 1,077 patients undergoing ventral skull base surgery with laboratory values required to calculate the MELD-Na score. The mean age was 54.2 years. The mean MELD-Na score was 7.70 (standard deviation = 2.04). Univariate analysis showed that elevated MELD-Na score was significantly associated with increased age (58.6 vs 53.8 years) and male gender (70.8 vs 46.1%). Elevated MELD-Na score was associated with increased rates of postoperative acute renal failure, transfusion, septic shock, surgical complications, and extended length of hospital stay. On multivariate analysis, associations between elevated MELD-Na and increased risk of perioperative transfusions (odds ratio [OR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20–2.93; p = 0.007) and surgical complications (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.25–2.35; p = 0.009) remained significant.

Conclusions This analysis points to an association between liver health and postoperative complications in ventral skull base surgery. Future research investigating this association is warranted.

Presented as a Poster at the Triological Society 2021 Combined Sections Virtual Meeting, January 29–30, 2021.




Publication History

Received: 20 September 2021

Accepted: 01 May 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
04 May 2022

Article published online:
18 July 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 
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