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Does Obesity Affect Outcomes After Decompressive Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? A Multicenter, Observational,
Charalampis Giannadakis1, Ulf S Nerland1, Ole Solheim2
1Department of Neurosurgery, St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
World Neurosurgery
|June 24, 2015
Summary
Obese patients experienced less improvement in Oswestry Disability Index scores one year after lumbar spinal stenosis surgery. They were also less likely to achieve a clinically important difference in function compared to nonobese individuals.
Area of Science:
- Spine Surgery Outcomes
- Obesity and Health
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common condition requiring surgical intervention.
- Obesity is a growing public health concern with potential impacts on surgical outcomes.
- Laminectomy and microdecompression are surgical procedures used to treat LSS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between obesity and patient outcomes following laminectomy or microdecompression for LSS.
- To assess the impact of body mass index (BMI) on functional recovery 1 year post-surgery.
Main Methods:
- Prospective data collection from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery.
- Inclusion of 1473 patients undergoing laminectomy or microdecompression for LSS.
- Primary outcome measure: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI); Obesity defined as BMI ≥ 30.
Main Results:
- Obese patients showed less improvement in ODI scores (14.3 points) compared to nonobese patients (17.5 points) at 1 year (P=0.007).
- Obese individuals were less likely to achieve a minimal clinically important difference in ODI (62.2% vs. 70.3%, P=0.013).
- Obesity was a negative predictor for ODI improvement; nonobese patients reported greater reduction in back and leg pain.
Conclusions:
- While both obese and nonobese patients experience clinical improvement after LSS surgery, outcomes are less favorable for obese individuals.
- Obesity is associated with reduced functional recovery and a lower likelihood of achieving meaningful improvement post-LSS surgery.
- Further research may explore strategies to optimize surgical outcomes for obese patients with LSS.
