Comparison of patient satisfaction and cost in spinal and general anesthesia for lumbar disc surgery

The aim of this study was to evaluate patient satisfaction and cost in spinal and general anesthesia for lumbar disc surgery.

The study was performed on 66 ASA class I-II patients with one level lumbar disc herniation (LDH). In this prospective study, patients were assigned randomly to either spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia groups. Hemodynamic variables, intraoperative opioid requirements, postoperative pain scores and analgesic requirements and complications were recorded. Patients were handed a questionnaire about the procedure they underwent to determine patient satisfaction. The costs of preoperative and postoperative anesthesia procedures, medications, and hospitalization were calculated individually.

Spinal anesthesia and general anesthesia were similar concerning hemodynamic stability, first urination time, first mobilization time, postoperative analgesic requirement, and pain. Patients in group S needed less additional dose of fentanyl intraoperatively than the patients in group G. Patient satisfaction was significantly higher in Group S when compared to Group G. Total cost was higher in Group G compared to Group S.

We conclude that successful LDH surgery can be performed using either anesthesia type. As long as patients are selected carefully, spinal anesthesia is a safe, comfortable, and a more economical alternative.