The researchers examined patients at a single institution over a two-year period enrolled in a prospective study. The patients reported outcomes at baseline, three months and 12 months after surgery. There were 1,484 patients included in the study with three-month outcomes. The researchers found:
1. Only 15.7 percent of the patients, 233 patients, were lost to follow-up at 12 months.
2. There wasn’t a difference in most baseline demographics or comorbidities for patients who had the 12-month follow-up versus those who didn’t. However, there was a difference in age and employment status.
3. The younger patients and those who were employed preoperatively were more likely lost to follow-up at 12 months.
4. The preoperative pain, disability and quality of life were similar between the two groups. The 90-day morbidity rate was 17.2 percent for the 12-month follow-up group and 16.2 for the non-12 month follow-up group.
5. The patients lost to follow up were 51 years old on average, compared with 57 years old among those who had a 12-month follow-up. There were 45.9 percent of the patients in the non-12 month follow-up group that were employed, compared with 41.7 percent in the follow-up group.
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