Health related quality of life after lumbar disc surgery:: A prospective study of 145 patients

Purpose: This study compared health related quality of life (HRQOL) among lumbar disc surgery patients to general population, and assessed the relationships between HRQOL and other outcome measures 2 and 14 months after surgery. Methods: The 15D instrument was used to measure HRQOL in 145 lumbar disc surgery patients. Subjective outcome was also assessed by the Oswestry index, Short Depression Inventory ( SDI) and pain, and objective outcome by trunk muscle strength and mobility of the spine. Results: The mean (SD) 15D score among the patients 2 months after surgery was 0.880 (0.104) compared to 0.941 (0.076) among general population (p=0.016). The 15D, Oswestry and SDI scores remained unchanged during the follow-up, while the improvements in the spine mobility and trunk muscle strength were significant. Back pain decreased by 68% and leg pain by 74% from preoperative level to 2 months check-up. Leg pain further decreased during the following 12 months, while back pain remained unchanged. HRQOL was associated with age, pain, Oswestry and SDI indices, but not with physical function. Conclusion: HRQOL measured by 15D was lower in the lumbar disc surgery patients compared to general population. 15D was associated with the subjective outcome measures of pain, Ostwestry and SDI indices, but not with the objective measures of physical function. Thus, a combination of "disease specific'' and "generic'' measures is recommended to be used to obtain more accurate information about the overall welfare of an individual.