ABSTRACT
AIM: To find out early outcomes after lumbar discectomy in patients with degenerative spine disease at discharge (10-12 days after surgery) from the hospital. METHODS: The study was performed on 50 patients who have undergone lumbar discectomy for degenerative disc/spine disease in their pre- and post-operative stages of treatment. The study included 50 patients, taking into account both anamnesis and postoperative follow-up data. The outcomes were evaluated using modified Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and location of pain. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 50 patients who completed the questionnaire in the pre- and post-operative period. The mean age of the patients was 50.0±2.1 years (male-27, female-23). The questionnaire contained questions about severity of pain (VAS), pain tolerance, well-being, walking, standing, sitting and sleeping. The data was compared in the pre- and post-operative stage, differences were evaluated using paired 't' test. There was a significant difference pain severity, walking, standing and sleeping among pre- and post-operative patients. Forty two percent of patients noted significant reduction of pain in the post-operative period. 48% of patients showed normalization of sleep without analgesics and hypnotics. About 72% of patients on the onset of the disease noted pain in both back and leg, and 6% had only low back pain, at the pre-operative stage. 52% of patients had no pain soon after surgery. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients noted an improvement - rapid reduction of pain and restoration of sleep without analgesics and hypnotics in the post-operative period.
