title: Private and Non-Private Disc Herniation Patients: Do they Differ?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the 2006 yearly report from the Swedish National Register for Lumbar Spine Surgery it was claimed that international studies show obvious differences between private and non-private patients with regard to results from back surgery. Therefore our aim was to reveal such possible differences by comparing the two categories of patients at a private clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  The material comprises 1184 patients operated on for lumbar disc herniation during the period of 1987 to 2007. Basic pre-operative data were obtained from the medical records and follow-up was performed by a questionnaire around 5 years post-operatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Small but statistically significant differences between private and non-private patients were seen pre-operatively regarding the proportions of a/ men and women in the samples, b/ those with physically demanding jobs, c/ those on sick leave and d/ those with lumbar pain. Over the years the admitted private patients had a decreasing mean duration of symptoms which was not seen in the non-private patients. No apparent differences (n.s.) were seen between the two categories of patients pre-operatively regarding age, presence and level of leg pain or the proportion who smoked. Post-operative improvement in leg and lumbar pain was very similar in private and non-private patients as was satisfaction with the results and the proportion of patients returning to work.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite small pre-operative differences concerning some variables and a significant difference in symptom duration between private and non-private disc herniation patients, the final clinical results were very similar.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Spinal Surgery, Strängnäs, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gregebo
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Deliang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Spinal Surgery, Strängnäs, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schillberg
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Spinal Surgery, Strängnäs, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baehr
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Spinal Surgery, Strängnäs, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nyström
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taube
keywords: Lumbar disc herniation; non-private patients; outcome; private patients; prognostic factors; surgery.