Here are five key notes:
1. Researchers looked at the one-year follow-up data of 1,645 patients who had surgery for degenerative disease of the cervical and lumbar spine. The study measured standard rating scales for disability and neck, back, arm and leg pain.
2. Eighty-three percent of the patients said they were satisfied following their surgeries, based on the spinal surgery satisfaction scale.
3. The study found patients with lower than a 15 percent improvement on a standard disability rating scale were four times more likely to be dissatisfied with the outcomes of their surgeries.
4. Those patients who received minimal clinically important differences in pain were three times more likely to be dissatisfied.
5. The researchers concluded that patient satisfaction following spinal surgery for degenerative disease depends on improvement of disability and pain, initial disability and pain and insurance status.
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