Do Psychological Factors Affect Life Satisfaction and Pain Interference in Spine Surgery Patients? A 12-Month...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Psychology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Psychological factors significantly influence patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
• Preoperative psychological status may affect recovery and quality of life after surgery.
• Understanding these influences is crucial for optimizing patient care and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of preoperative anxiety, depression, and resilience on postoperative pain interference.
• To evaluate the influence of these psychological factors on life satisfaction one year after spine surgery.
• To determine the predictive value of preoperative psychological status on long-term outcomes in spine surgery patients.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial involving 120 patients undergoing elective spine surgery.
• Patients received either tramadol-paracetamol or placebo for postoperative pain management.
• Validated questionnaires assessed anxiety, depression, resilience, pain interference, and life satisfaction preoperatively and at 52 weeks postoperatively.

Main Results:

• Life satisfaction improved and pain interference decreased significantly at 12 months in both treatment groups.
• Linear regression analysis showed no statistically significant association between preoperative anxiety, depression, or resilience scores and 12-month life satisfaction or pain interference.
• The psychological factors investigated did not predict long-term outcomes in this cohort.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative psychological factors, including anxiety, depression, and resilience, did not demonstrate a significant impact on postoperative pain interference or life satisfaction one year after spine surgery.
• These findings suggest that psychological status may not be a primary determinant of long-term outcomes in this patient population.
• Further research may be needed to identify other key factors influencing recovery and quality of life after spine surgery.