A new study published in The Spine Journal examines whether lumbar and cervical spine surgery outcomes meet patients' expectations.
The patients filled out a 20-item lumbar or cerivical spine surgery survey measuring their expectations for symptom improvement, physical function and mental well-being. Two years after surgery the patients were asked about whether their expectations were fulfilled. The researchers found:
1. Most — 90 percent — of the 366 lumbar patients reported at least some of their expectations fulfilled:
• Expectations surpassed: 15 percent
• Expectations fulfilled as expected: 9 percent
• Expectations somewhat fulfilled: 65 percent
2. The variables associated with the lower proportion of fulfilled expectations included more preoperative expectations, not working full time, previous spine surgeries, multi-level procedures, subsequent spine surgery and less ODI and pain score improvement.
3. There were 133 cervical spine surgery patients who took the survey and 91 percent reported at least some of their expectations were fulfilled:
• Expectations surpassed: 23 percent
• Expectations fulfilled as expected: 8 percent
• Expectations somewhat fulfilled: 60 percent
4. The factors associated with lower expectations fulfilled were more preoperative expectations and less NDI and pain score improvements.
5. Ten percent of the lumbar patients said none of their expectations were fulfilled, making the mean proportion of fulfilled expectations 0.66. Nine percent of the cervical patients said none of their expectations were fulfilled, making the mean proportion of fulfilled expectations 0.78.