title: Lumbar discectomy and the diabetic patient: incidence and outcome.
abstract: Medical records of 363 patients who had a diagnosis of lumbar disc disease and were managed by a posterior approach lumbar discectomy over a 7 year period were reviewed: 33 patients had a preoperative diagnosis of diabetes, an incidence in this patient population of 9.1%. The results for these 33 patients who had a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus were compared with those of 33 age and sex matched nondiabetic (control) patients who had a similar operative approach. Twenty-five of the diabetic and 28 of t he control patients were available for long term follow up. The results were positive (good to excellent) for 24 of the 28 (86%) control patients and 15 of the 25 (60%) diabetic patients. Seven of the 25 (28%) diabetic patients had reoperation for recurrent disc herniation at the same level following the initial procedure compared with one of the 28 (3.5%) control patients.
authors.affiliation: The Canberra Hospital, Woden ACT, Australia.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mobbs
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Newcombe
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Chandran
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015984:Causality; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D018579:Patient Selection; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome