Postoperative recovery patterns following discectomy surgery in patients with lumbar radiculopathy

Retrolaminar block for opioid-free anaesthesia and enhanced recovery after posterior lumbar discectomy: A randomised controlled study

Background and Aims

Intraoperative regional analgesia and enhanced recovery are standard care models aimed at reducing perioperative opioid use following spine surgeries. This study aimed to examine the analgesic effect of retrolaminar block in promoting recovery and pain relief after posterior lumbar discectomy.

Methods

The patients undergoing elective posterior lumbar discectomy were randomised into the retrolaminar group (n = 36) (received an intra-operative bilateral retrolaminar block with 15 mL of bupivacaine 0.25%, 2 mL (8 mg) of dexamethasone, and 2 mL of magnesium sulphate 10% (200 mg) on each side) and control group (n = 36) (received standard general anaesthesia). Primary outcomes were recovery time (time from isoflurane discontinuation to the first response to verbal command) and time to discharge (time from admission to the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) to discharge from the PACU, when Aldrete score was ≥9). P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

The extubation, recovery, and discharge times were significantly shorter in the retrolaminar group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). Postoperative pain scores were significantly lower in the retrolaminar group for up to 8 h compared to only 2 h in the control group (P < 0.001). The time to first administration of ketorolac post-operatively was significantly longer in the retrolaminar group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). The total consumption of ketorolac post-operatively was significantly reduced in the retrolaminar group compared to the control group (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Intra-operative retrolaminar block is an easy and effective opioid-free regional anaesthesia technique that improves recovery after posterior lumbar discectomy.

Nerve root retraction time during lumbar endoscopic discectomy: association with new onset radiculitis, a post-operative neurologic complication

PURPOSE

To evaluate the relationship between nerve root retraction time, post-operative radiculitis and patient reported outcomes.

METHODS

Patients who underwent single- or multi-level lumbar discectomy between 2020 and 2022 for lumbar disk herniations were prospectively followed with pre-operative, interoperative and post-operative variables including radiculitis and patient reported outcomes including VAS, ODI and CAT domains Pain interference, Pain intensity and Physical function. Intraoperative nerve root retraction time was recorded. Paired sample two-tailed t-test and multivariate regression were utilized with p < 0.05 being significant.

RESULTS

A total of 157 patients who underwent single- or multi-level endoscopic lumbar discectomy. Average patient age was 44 years, and 64% were male patients. Nerve retraction time ranged from 4 to 15 min. Eighteen percent reported new radiculitis at 2-weeks post-operatively. In patients with new-onset radiculitis 79.2% reported significantly worse VAS leg at 2 weeks post-operative (4.2 vs. 8.3, p < 0.001) compared to 12.5% who had improved VAS leg (9.3 vs. 7, p = 0.1181). Patients with radiculitis and worse VAS scores had substantially longer nerve retraction time (13.8 ± 7.5 min) than patients with improved VAS leg (6.7 ± 1.2 min). At 6 months, patients with longer nerve retraction time had no significant improvement in the ODI or CAT compared to the baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study in discectomy literature to show that new onset radiculitis and poorer outcomes in VAS leg correlate with longer nerve retraction time at early and later time points.

Postoperative Evaluation of Pain and Disability in Patients Undergoing Spinal Discectomy

BACKGROUND

A spinal discectomy surgery (SDS) is a common surgical procedure performed to treat lumbosacral radiculopathy.

AIM

To evaluate postoperative patterns of pain and disability in patients undergoing spinal discectomy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

This investigation was a retrospective longitudinal review of prospective information gathered from 543 enrolled patients for lumbar radiculoplasty. The study participants were divided into two categories: Category 1 (SDS) comprising patients of lumbar radiculoplasty managed with SDS (n=270) and Category 2 (non-SDS) comprising patients of lumbar radiculoplasty managed with therapy other than SDS (n=273). It included study participants taking medication for pain control including opioids and non-opioids and physiotherapy for strengthening lower back muscles. At baseline, three months, 12 months, and 24 months after surgery, patient-reported information was gathered. Leg pain magnitude, back pain magnitude, and pain-related impairment were the key outcome metrics of interest.

RESULTS

The mean postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) score for leg pain at three-month follow-up was 4.3±1.2 in study participants in SDS and 8.1±1.3 in the non-SDS category. The VAS score was lower in the SDS category showing greater reduction in postoperative pain with statistically meaningful results (p<0.001). The mean postoperative VAS score at 12-month follow-up was 2.8±1.1 in study participants in SDS and 7.9±1.5 in the non-SDS category. The VAS score was lower in the SDS category showing greater reduction in postoperative pain with statistically meaningful results (p<0.001). The mean postoperative VAS score at 24-month follow-up was 1.7±1.2 in study participants in SDS and 7.1±1.1 in the non-SDS category. The VAS score was lower in the SDS category showing greater reduction in postoperative pain with statistically meaningful results (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

 It was observed that after discectomy, patients suffering from lumbar radiculopathy have significant pain and disability recovery. According to these results, only a small percentage of individuals exhibit negative results at the level of impairment.

Analysis of Conservative Treatment Trends for Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy in Korea: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to analyze the trends in conservative treatment and associated medical costs for lumbar intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy in Korea. This population-based cross-sectional study included patients aged ≥ 20 years with at least one "intervertebral disc disorder with radiculopathy" claim (Korean Standard Classification of Diseases (KCD)-7 code: M511) who sought treatment from tertiary, general, or Korean Medicine hospitals or clinics between 2010 and 2019 and whose data were extracted from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service National Patients Sample database. Intervention frequency, ratio, and medical costs, including medication, were analyzed. The number of patients with lumbar intervertebral disc disorders and radiculopathy undergoing conservative treatment increased by >30%, and medical costs increased from USD 3,342,907 to USD 5,600,456 during the 10-year period. The non-surgical treatments mainly used were medication and physiotherapy, and the most commonly prescribed medication was non-opioid analgesics. Meanwhile, the number of patients who used nerve plexus and root and ganglion nerve blocks showed the most significant increase. In conclusion, the number of patients with radiculopathy who received nerve blocks, particularly nerve plexus and root and ganglion nerve blocks, and related expenditure increased, implying a gradual shift in medical decisions from systemic pain reduction to specific and targeted pain treatments. Future studies and clinical practice guidelines may require further inspection of real-world practice to advise optimal treatment choices for an effective treatment plan.