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Lumbar Microdiscectomy in Obese Patients: A Multicenter Observational Study
Mattis A Madsbu1, Lise R Øie2, Øyvind Salvesen3
1Department of Neurosurgery, St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
World Neurosurgery
|December 11, 2017
Summary
Obese patients experienced similar improvements in function and pain after lumbar microdiscectomy for disc herniation compared to nonobese patients. However, obesity was linked to a slightly higher risk of minor complications and longer hospital stays.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Orthopedics
- Public Health
Background:
- Lumbar disc herniation is a common cause of back pain.
- Microdiscectomy is a standard surgical procedure for lumbar disc herniation.
- The impact of obesity on surgical outcomes is a growing concern in spine surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between obesity and outcomes following microdiscectomy for lumbar disc herniation.
- To compare functional recovery, pain reduction, and complication rates between obese and nonobese patients.
Main Methods:
- Prospective data from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery were analyzed.
- Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥30.
- The primary outcome was the change in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at 1 year post-surgery.
Main Results:
- A total of 4932 patients (914 obese) were included; 3381 had 1-year follow-up.
- Obese and nonobese patients showed similar improvements in ODI, Euro-Qol-5 scores, and pain levels.
- Obesity was a negative predictor for ODI improvement in regression analysis, and obese patients had more minor complications and longer hospital stays.
Conclusions:
- Obese individuals achieve comparable functional and pain improvements after lumbar microdiscectomy as nonobese individuals.
- While outcomes are similar, obesity is associated with a higher incidence of minor complications and extended hospital stays.
