Patients undergoing shoulder surgery have high preoperative expectations

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Preoperative expectations significantly influence patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes.
• Understanding factors associated with patient expectations is crucial for managing outcomes in shoulder surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the preoperative expectations of patients scheduled for shoulder surgery.
• To identify relationships between patient demographics, patient-reported outcome measures (PROs), and preoperative expectations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 319 patients undergoing shoulder surgery between 2015-2018.
• Utilized questionnaires for demographics and PROs; Musculoskeletal Outcomes Data Evaluation and Management System for expectations.
• Performed bivariate analyses to identify significant associations.

Main Results:

• Overall high preoperative expectations (mean score 84.7/100) were observed.
• Significant associations found between expectations and ethnicity, prior surgery, employment, income, tobacco use, opioid use, depression, and ASA score.
• Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair was the most common procedure.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative expectations in shoulder surgery patients are high and linked to various demographic and clinical factors.
• Open discussion of expectations preoperatively can help align patient hopes with realistic outcomes.
• Managing patient expectations is key to improving satisfaction and surgical results.