Lumbar spinal stenosis patients are satisfied with short-term results of surgery - younger age, symptom severity, disability and depression decrease satisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
To study the lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients' (n = 98) satisfaction with surgery outcome and associated factors at three months post-operative stage.


METHODS
LSS-related physical functioning and pain were assessed with Oswestry disability index, Stucki questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale and pain drawings. Depression was assessed with 21-item Beck Depression Inventory. Psychological well-being was assessed with the Life satisfaction scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Sense of Coherence Scale. All questionnaires were administered before and 3 months after surgical treatment of LSS. Satisfaction with surgery outcome was assessed with a separate scale.


RESULTS
Considerable improvement was evident in all the functional and pain-related variables. Two-thirds (66%) of the patients were at least clearly satisfied with the surgery outcome. Younger age, symptom severity, disability and depression were independently associated with dissatisfaction with surgery outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
The lack of physical, functional and emotional well-being is associated with the patients' dissatisfaction with the surgery outcome. Patient satisfaction is a valid outcome to be measured in LSS patients undergoing surgery. It is recommended that patients should be provided with realistic pre-operative patient information and that depression be assessed pre-operatively.
Sinikallio
Sanna
S
Department of Rehabilitation, Kuopio University Hospital, Kupio, Finland. sanna.sinikallio@kuh.fi
Aalto
Timo
T
Airaksinen
Olavi
O
Herno
Arto
A
Kröger
Heikki
H
Savolainen
Sakari
S
Turunen
Veli
V
Viinamäki
Heimo
H
D000367:Age Factors; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires