The quality of life of patients after a lumbar microdiscectomy: a four-year monitoring study

Endoscopic discectomy of the herniated intervertebral disc and changes in quality-of-life EQ-5D-5L analysis

Herniated lumbar discs are a common cause of low back pain, which can negatively impact the quality of life of working-age individuals. This study aimed to evaluate changes in the quality of life in patients with sciatica who underwent endoscopic discectomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure. The study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02742311) included 470 patients who underwent transforaminal, interlaminar, or translaminar endoscopic discectomy. Quality of life and pain perception were evaluated by comparing statistically weighted values of EQ-5D-5L, EQ-VAS, Oswestry disability index, and numerical pain scales for lower limb and back pain before and 12 months after the endoscopic procedure. After the procedure, there was a significant improvement in the reduction of back and lower limb pain, as well as in all monitored questionnaires (P < .001), which persisted 12 months after the endoscopy. All evaluated dimensions of the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire indicated a significant improvement in the assessed quality of life (P < .001). The study showed that percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy is an effective pain-treating intervention that can improve the quality of life. There was no observed difference in the percentage of complications or re-herniations when comparing the transforaminal and interlaminar, approaches.

A Prospective Observational Study of Return to Work after Single Level Lumbar Discectomy

OBJECTIVE

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common disease, and lumbar discectomy (LD) is a common neurosurgical procedure. However, there is little previous data on return to work (RTW) after LD. This study investigated the period until the RTW after LD prospectively. Clinically, the pain state at the time of RTW also checked. RTW failure rate 6 months after surgery also investigated.

METHODS

Patients with daily/regular jobs undergoing LD between September 2014 and December 2018 were enrolled. Pain was assessed by the Oswestri Disability Index (ODI) and the Numeric Rate Scale (NRS). Employment type was divided into self-employed, regular and contracted. Monthly telephone interviews were conducted to check RTW status and self-estimated work capability after surgery.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven patients enrolled in this study. Three patients failed to RTW, and three others resigned within 6 months after surgery. The preoperative NRS and ODI were 7.2±1.2 and 22.1±7.9, respectively. The average time to RTW was 5.1±6.0 weeks. At RTW, NRS was 1.5±1.8 and ODI was 6.3±3.9. Amongst patients that successfully returned to work were 16 self-employed workers, 42 regular employees, and three contracted workers. The time to RTW of self-employed, regular, and contracted workers were 5.9±8.8, 4.2±4.3 and 13.3±2.3 weeks, respectively (p=0.011). Thirty-six of the patients that returned to work self-reported a 22.8±15.6% reduction in work capability at 6 months.

CONCLUSION

RTW may vary depending on the employment status. In this study, we found that while employment type may affect the length to RTW, most patients were able to RTW and >40% of patients reported no loss of work capabilities 6 months postoperatively, hopefully alleviating some patient hesitation towards LD.

Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Spine Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

STUDY DESIGN

Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

Despite the increasing importance of tracking clinical outcomes using valid patient-reported outcome measures, most providers do not routinely obtain baseline preoperative health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data in patients undergoing spine surgery, precluding objective outcomes analysis in individual practices. We conducted a meta-analysis of pre- and postoperative HRQoL data obtained from the most commonly published instruments to use as reference values.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and an institutional registry for studies reporting EQ-5D, SF-6D, and Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary scores in patients undergoing surgery for degenerative cervical and lumbar spinal conditions published between 2000 and 2014. Observational data was pooled meta-analytically using an inverse variance-weighted, random-effects model, and statistical comparisons were performed.

RESULTS

Ninety-nine articles were included in the final analysis. Baseline HRQoL scores varied by diagnosis for each of the 3 instruments. On average, postoperative HRQoL scores significantly improved following surgical intervention for each diagnosis using each instrument. There were statistically significant differences in baseline utility values between the EQ-5D and SF-6D instruments for all lumbar diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

The pooled HRQoL values presented in this study may be used by practitioners who would otherwise be precluded from quantifying their surgical outcomes due to a lack of baseline data. The results highlight differences in HRQoL between different degenerative spinal diagnoses, as well as the discrepancy between 2 common utility-based instruments. These findings emphasize the need to be cognizant of the specific instruments used when comparing the results of outcome studies.

Factors Associated With Longer Postoperative Outpatient Follow-up Duration in Patients With Single Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Noncomplicated Patient Cohort Study

Objective

Many reports have described the outcomes of surgical treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). However, few reports have investigated the treatment period after lumbar disc surgery. If no complications occur, how long should an ordinary patient be treated? Which factors are associated with the outpatient follow-up period (OFP)? To answer these questions, we reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent lumbar disc surgery, calculated their average OFP, and sought to identify factors associated with the OFP.

Methods

Patients who underwent surgical treatment of single-level LDH from July 2005 to December 2011 were enrolled in this study. Patients who had no pain or required no further treatment did not receive follow-up. Patients’ medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Cases of recurrent LDH, postoperative infections, instrumentation, cauda equina syndrome, postoperative hematoma, trauma-associated herniation, and spondylolisthesis were excluded. We reviewed the postoperative hospitalization period (PHP) and the OFP. Sex, age, operation year, surgical approach, the operating surgeon, disc level, and insurance type were investigated as associated factors.

Results

In total, 611 patients underwent surgical treatment for single-level LDH by 4 surgeons. Their average age was 44.3 ± 15.1 years. There were 377 male and 234 female patients. The average PHP was 4.4 ± 3.2 days, the average OFP was 112.3 ± 198.6 days, and the 95% confidence interval for the OFP among the enrolled patients was between 96.5 and 128.1 days.

Conclusion

Although this is a single-institute report, most LDH patients showed an OFP of less than 4 months after surgical treatment. In this study, sex, age, and insurance type seemed to be related with the OFP.

Results of lumbar spine surgery: A postal survey

Background and aim No studies have been published regarding the results of lumbar spine surgery a in population-based setting in Finland. Our objective was to investigate functional capacity and quality of life after lumbar spine surgery in a population-based cohort in Northern Finland, focusing on working-age patients. Methods This was a cross-sectional postal survey. Three questionnaires (a self-made questionnaire, the Oswestry Low Back Disability Questionnaire and the SF-36) were sent the patients aged 18-65 years who had undergone lumbar spine surgery due to disc herniation, instability or spinal stenosis in the Oulu University Hospital between June 2005 and May 2008. Results The postal survey was sent to 814 patients, of whom 537 patients (66%) replied. Of these, 361 (67%) underwent disc surgery, 85 (16%) stabilizing surgery and 91 (17%) decompression. Pain was absent or present only occasional in 51% in the disc surgery group, whereas it was present daily in 59% in the stabilizing surgery group and in 58% in the decompression group (P < 0.001). Axial pain was slightly more intense than radicular pain. Pain was milder in the disc surgery group compared with the stabilizing surgery and decompression groups: mean (SD) axial pain with 0-10 NRS was 4.0 (2.3), 4.7 (2.4) and 4 (2.3) respectively (P = 0.002) and radicular pain 3.5 (2.6), 4.2 (2.8), 4.5 (2.6) respectively (P < 0.001). The total ODI score (mean, SD) was 20 (17) in the disc surgery group, 35 (17) in the stabilizing surgery group and 32 (17) in the decompression group (P < 0.001). The physical dimension sum score from the SF-was 42 (11) in the disc surgery group and 34 (10) in the stabilizing surgery and decompression grou (P < 0.001). Mental sum scores did not vary significantly between the groups. Conclusions and Implications Outcome was good after lumbar disc operations but less favourable after stabilizing surgery and decompression regarding pain, functional capacity and quality of life.

IMPLICATIONS

This study offers important information about outcome after lumbar spine surgery in Oulu University Hospital. It also brings out that in Finland we need systematic national spine register, with accurate pre-and postoperative data.

Restless leg syndrome and sleep quality in lumbar radiculopathy patients

Background. To investigate the frequency of restless leg syndrome (RLS), sleep quality impairment, depression, fatigue, and sleep behavior disorder and to determine the effects of surgery on these parameters in radiculopathy patients resistant to conservative treatment. Methods. The present study included 66 lumbar radiculopathy patients, who were resistant to conservative treatment and had indication of surgery. Five different questionnaires were performed to assess depression (the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)), sleep quality (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)), fatigue (the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)), and presence of RLS and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). The same questionnaires were also performed on a control group (n = 61). Results. Of the radiculopathy patients, 68.1% had RLS and 92.4% had fatigue. Of the controls, 16.4% had RLS and 59% had fatigue. RBD was present in 8 (12.1%) patients and 3 (4.9%) controls. The PSQI revealed that sleep quality was impaired in 46 (69.7%) patients and 35 (57.4%) controls (P > 0.05). The number of individuals having substantial depression according to the BDI was significantly higher in the patients than in the controls. Conclusions. There was a significant increase in the frequency of RLS, which was significantly decreased in the postoperative period in the radiculopathy patients.