The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial and several other spine study groups conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine if surgery of nonoperative treatments were more effective for patients with spinal stenosis.
The study evaluated 654 patients in 11 states at 13 institutions with multidisciplinary spine practices. Surgery consisted of a standard open decompressive laminectomy. By four years, 419, or 64 percent, had undergone surgery.
Smokers, however, improved to a similar degree with surgery and nonoperative treatment, suggesting that patients should quit smoking prior to surgery.
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