Unplanned Reoperation After Surgery for Scapholunate Interosseous Ligament Insufficiency: A Retrospective Review of 316 Patients.

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with unplanned reoperation after surgery for scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) insufficiency.

Methods: Using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes from 3 hand surgery centers across 2 metropolitan areas, we identified 316 patients undergoing surgery for SLIL insufficiency from 2000 to 2014. Medical records were manually reviewed to collect data on factors that might be associated with unplanned reoperation, including age, sex, tobacco use, occupation, acuity of treatment, and reconstruction method.

Results: Thirty-eight patients (12%) had an unplanned reoperation; most of them (65%) were a secondary reconstruction or salvage procedure (eg, 6 proximal row carpectomies, 9 revision reconstruction, and 10 partial carpal arthrodeses), while 5 (13%) were for unplanned screw removal. The median time between the index and second surgery was 16 months (range, 2-97 months). The type of index procedure was not associated with reoperation. The only factor associated with reoperation was cigarette smoking, and this association persisted when looking specifically at reoperations for revision or salvage.

Conclusions: Patients should be counseled that smoking is associated with reoperation after SLIL surgery. Smoking cessation or decreasing nicotine usage may be beneficial prior to surgery. With the numbers available, there was no association between surgical technique and reoperation.