A new study published in Clinical Spine Surgery examines the factors affecting a patient's decision to undergo surgery for spinal stenosis.
The study authors recruited patients with spinal stenosis from age 55 years old to 90 years old. There were 29 patients who were included in the study and 20 who underwent surgery. The researchers reported:
1. There were several factors that influenced the patient's decision to undergo surgery including SF-36 measures of "Comparative Health" and Role Limit Emotional, according to a binary logistic regression analysis.
2. The patient's overall quality of life perception played a role in whether they decided to undergo surgery.
3. All three factors combined created a predictive model for the patients who chose surgery, the "Comparative Health" measure was significant on its own.
4. The study authors concluded, "Interventions to change real or perceived overall health may impact patient acceptance of surgery."