Association Between Operative Day of the Week and Postoperative Outcomes Following Lumbar Fusion

Abstract Purpose: We aimed to further characterize the correlation between surgical day of the week and post-operative outcomes following lumbar fusion surgery.

Methods

This was a retrospective electronic medical record (EMR) analysis of adult patients (> 18 years) that underwent elective level 1–3 lumbar fusions at a large, tertiary academic institution between 2022 and 2025. Trauma, tumors, and emergent cases were excluded. Patient demographics, social determinants of health (SDOH), operative characteristics, and post-operative outcome variables were collected from EMRs and surgeon follow-up notes. Statistical significance was assessed using Chi-square and Student’s T-tests. Univariate linear regression evaluated correlations between surgical day and operative variables.