CLINICAL CORRELATES OF PATIENT SATISFACTION AFTER LAMINECTOMY FOR DEGENERATIVE LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS

Study Design. Prospective multicenter observational study of the outco me of surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. objectives. To identify correlates of patient satisfaction with the results of surger y. Summary of Background Data. Little published information exists on correlates of patient satisfaction after surgery for spinal stenosis. Methods, Preoperative and 6-month follow-up data for 194 patients were analyzed. Associations between preoperative variables and satisfactio n with the results of surgery were examined in univariate and multivar iate models. Results. In multiple linear regression models that adjust ed for the effects of age, gender, individual surgeon, number of inter spaces decompressed, whether a fusion was performed, depression score, and overall level of pain, the predominance of back (as opposed to le g) pain, greater comorbidity, and worse preoperative functional status were associated with lower patient satisfaction. The regression model explained just 15% of the variance in patient satisfaction. Conclusio ns. Patients bothered predominantly by back pain preoperatively and th ose with greater medical comorbidity and functional disability are sig nificantly less satisfied with the results of surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.