Pain and functional disability after lumbar microdiscectomy and their correlations with gender, depression and recovery expectations

Abstract

Background/Aim. Among the various factors that can influence continued postoperative back pain and/or leg pain, and functional disability after lumbar microdiscectomy are gender, depression, and pessimism. The aim of this study was to determine the correlations between these factors. Methods. The research was conducted after microdiscectomy on 198 patients (95 men and 103 women), with a mean age of 50.20 ? 10.26 years. The following questionnaires were used for examinations: for assessment of pain and its intensity and character ? PainDETECT Test; for functional disability ? Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire; for the presence and degree of depression ? Beck Depression Inventory-II; and questionnaire for the assessment of personal expectations (pessimistic/optimistic) about the treatment results. These assessments were carried out after microdiscectomy ? just before rehabilitation treatment, one month later, and then 3 and 6 months after a microdiscectomy. Results. Depression (p < 0.01) and pessimism (p < 0.01) had significant negative influences on the pain and functional disability. The subjective sensation of pain was significantly higher in women than in men (p < 0.01), while men had a greater degree of functional disability (p < 0.01) than women. Conclusion. Pain and functional disability of the patients after lumbar microdiscectomy are significantly interconnected with gender, depression, and pessimism. The sensation of pain was higher in women, while men had a greater degree of functional disability. Globally, the intensity of pain and functional disability were significantly greater in patients with a higher degree of depression and pessimism, and, by registering mentioned factors, it is possible to predict the postoperative results.