Lumbar spine surgery across 15 years: trends, complications and reoperations in a longitudinal observational study from Norway

Abstract

BackgroundStudies from different Western countries have reported a rapid increase in spinal surgery rates, an increase that exceeds by far the growing incidence rates of spinal disorders in the general population. There are few studies covering all lumbar spine surgery and no previous studies from Norway.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate trends in all lumbar spine surgery in Norway over 15 years, including length of hospital stay, and rates of complications and reoperations.DesignA longitudinal observational study over 15 years using hospital patient administrative data and sociodemographic data from the National Registry in Norway.Setting and participantsPatients aged ≥18 years discharged from Norwegian public hospitals between 1999 and 2013.Outcome measuresAnnual rates of simple (microsurgical discectomy, decompression) and complex surgical procedures (fusion, disc prosthesis) in the lumbar spine.ResultsThe rate of lumbar spine surgery increased by 54%, from 78 (95% CI (75 to 80)) to 120 (107 to 113) per 100 000, from 1999 to 2013. More men had simple surgery whereas more women had complex surgery. Among elderly people over 75 years, lumbar surgery increased by a factor of five during the 15-year period. The rates of complications were low, but increased from 0.7% in 1999 to 2.4% in 2013.ConclusionsThere was a substantial increase in lumbar spine surgery in Norway from 1999 to 2013, similar to trends in other Western world countries. The rise in lumbar surgery among elderly people represents a significant workload and challenge for health services, given our aging population.

Effect of Electroacupuncture vs Sham Treatment on Change in Pain Severity Among Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain

“… 1 Pharmacological and surgical treatments for chronic low back pain are associated with adverse effects, such as addiction and surgical complications. 2 , 3 Most clinical trials on acupuncture for chronic low back pain thus far involve manual acupuncture and found similar magnitudes of effect between real and sham (placebo) acupuncture. 4 , 5 , 6 Preclinical studies suggest that electroacupuncture may lead to stronger analgesic outcomes than manual acupuncture.…”

Behandlingsrater for ryggkirurgi i Norge og Helse Nord 2014–18

“…Flere har rapportert om økende behandlingsrater (5)(6)(7)(8), men få har studert det samlede forbruket av ryggoperasjoner (9). I Norge økte behandlingsraten med 54 % fra 78 til 120 operasjoner per 100 000 innbyggere per år fra 1999 til 2013 (10). Formålet med denne studien var å undersøke om behandlingstilbudet innen ryggkirurgi i Helse Nord er i henhold til den vedtatte funksjonsfordelingen, og om det er geografisk variasjon i tilbudet.…”

“…Grotle og medarbeidere analyserte som oss tall fra Norsk pasientregister, og fant at behandlingsraten for ryggkirurgi i Norge økte fra 78 til 120 operasjoner per 100 000 innbyggere per år fra 1999 til 2013 (10). Vi fant at raten deretter har vaert stabil på samme nivå.…”

Zukunft der operativen Therapie degenerativer Wirbelsäulenerkrankungen: Kontra – Wandel hin zu weniger Operationen aufgrund fehlender Evidenz

“…Diese OP-Inzidenzen sind im Vergleich zu anderen europäischen Ländern und den USA (< 300/100 000) bzw. Kanada (150/100 000) deutlich erhöht [6,7]. Alleine die Rate der Spondylodesen zeigt bspw.…”