We investigated the associations of surgeons' emotional intelligence and surgeons' empathy with patient-surgeon relationships, patient perceptions of their health, and patient satisfaction before and after surgical procedures. We used multi-source approaches to survey 50 surgeons and their 549 outpatients during initial and follow-up visits. Surgeons' emotional intelligence had a positive effect (r = .45; p < .001) on patient-rated patient-surgeon relationships. Patient-surgeon relationships had a positive impact on patient satisfaction before surgery (r = .95; p < .001). Surgeon empathy did not have an effect on patient-surgeon relationships or patient satisfaction prior to surgery. But after surgery, surgeon empathy appeared to have a significantly positive and indirect effect on patient satisfaction through the mediating effect of patients' self-reported health status (r = .21; p < .001). Our study showed that long-term patient satisfaction with their surgeons is affected less by emotional intelligence than by empathy. Furthermore, empathy indirectly affects patient satisfaction through its positive effect on health outcomes, which have a direct effect on patients' satisfaction with their surgeons.

We conclude that doctors might benefit from training programmes aimed at improving EI and that differences in patient expectations might be considered when hospitals attempt to evaluate doctors in different specialties.

The results for vertebroplasty treatment of osteoporotic compression fractures appear to be injury stage dependent, with patients in the acute-injury stage needing longer recovery times, and with cement leakage quite common. These findings lead to the conclusion that the subacute stage is optimal for vertebroplasty. Furthermore, it is suggested that the use of spinal orthoses and postsurgical supplementation for the bone matrix reduces the risk of new, adjacent compression fractures and increases anterior interbody restabilization. Importantly, the findings suggest that a presurgical magnetic resonance imaging evaluation is an absolute necessity.

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