RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Is age a prognostic factor of postoperative outcome of lumbar disc herniation operations?
JF Neurosciences Journal
JO Neurosciences (Riyadh)
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 282
OP 284
VO 12
IS 4
A1 Hamit S. Karabekir
A1 Erhan Emel
A1 Elmas K. Atar
A1 Ahmet Yildizhan
YR 2007
UL http://nsj.org.sa/content/12/4/282.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of the patients age on preoperative symptoms and outcome.METHODS: The general data, symptoms, signs, and neurological examination findings were recorded from 511 patients between 2000 and 2006 at Vakif Gureba Hospital and Afyon Kocatepe University Neurosurgery Departments, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. The mean follow-up of the patients was 44.7 months. All patients younger than 64 were defined as younger patients (n=449). The others were defined as elderly patients (n=62). The measuring method of the outcome was visual analogue rating scale (VAS).RESULTS: Preoperative and postoperative VAS values were found similar in both the younger and older group. Only preoperative differences were found in the older group, due to systemic disease.CONCLUSION: The outcome was not statistically different in both groups, indicating that age is not a valuable prognostic factor for lumbar discectomy.