Cervical Disc Surgery : A Pathway to Better Sleep and Enhanced Quality of Life - A Pre-Post Study Perspective

Cervical disc herniation (CDH) is one of the most common pathologies that cause pain and functional loss in cervical spine disorders. The primary reasons for cervical disc patients' presentations are brachialgia, radiculopathy, and myelopathy. Pain leads to a decrease in sleep quality, and the reduction in sleep quality, in turn, negatively affects pain, resulting in a decline in quality of life. In the literature, there are limited studies evaluating pain, sleep quality, quality of life, and daily living activities in patients undergoing CDH surgery. Moreover, these studies do not adequately assess all these criteria together. Our study represents the most homogeneous (disconly) and comprehensive study in the current literature. We believe it will provide clear insights into the effects of CDH surgery and serve as a guide for preoperative patient selection and management.

This research is a prospective study. Between July 2024 and December 2024, a total of 43 patients underwent surgery for CDH. The patients included in the study were evaluated preoperatively and on the 45th postoperative day using Visual analog scale (VAS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), European quality of life 5 dimensions 3 level version (EQ-5D-3L), Neck disability index (NDI), and Copenhagen neck functional disability scale (CNFDS) scales.

Of the 43 patients included in the study, 28 (65.1%) were female, with a mean age of 43.16±9.82 years. Regarding the levels affected, 25 patients (58.1%) had involvement at the C5-6 level, while 18 patients (41.9%) were at the C6-7 level. Significant improvements were observed in all parameters during the preoperative and postoperative evaluation of VAS, PSQI, EQ-5D-3L, NDI, and CNFDS scales (p<0.001 for each).

In cervical disc patients with ineffective conservative treatment, radicular pain, muscle weakness, and extruded discs, as well as high preoperative scale scores, immediate surgical intervention will result in a reduction in pain and improvements in sleep, quality of life, and daily living activities.