The impact of diabetes upon quality of life outcomes after lumbar decompression

• Published in: The spine journal Vol. 16; no. 6; pp. 714 - 721
• Main Authors: Silverstein, Michael P., MD, Miller, Jacob A., BS, Xiao, Roy, BA, Lubelski, Daniel, MD, Benzel, Edward C., MD, Mroz, Thomas E., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.06.2016
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Decompression, Surgical - adverse effects; Diabetes; Diabetes Complications - epidemiology; Disability Evaluation; EQ-5D; Female; Humans; Lumbar decompression; Male; Middle Aged; Minimal clinically important difference; Multivariable regression; Orthopedics; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; Quality of Life; Retrospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; EQ-5D; Diabetes; Lumbar decompression; Minimal clinically important difference; Multivariable regression; Quality of life
• ISSN: 1529-9430; 1878-1632
• DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2015.10.041

Abstract Background Context Patients with comorbid disease may experience suboptimal quality of life (QOL) improvement following decompression spinal surgery. Prior studies have suggested the deleterious effect of diabetes upon postoperative QOL; however, these studies have not used minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) or multivariable statistical techniques. Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of preoperative diabetes upon postoperative change in QOL. Study Design/Setting A retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary-care center was carried out. Patient Sample Patients who underwent lumbar decompression between 2008 and 2014 were included in the study. Inclusion necessitated a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Outcomes Measures Postoperative changes in the EuroQol 5-Dimensions (EQ-5D), Pain Disability Questionnaire (PDQ), and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) at last follow-up were the primary outcome measures. The secondary outcome variable was postoperative change in QOL measures exceeding the MCID. Methods Quality of life data were collected using the institutional prospectively collected database of patient-reported health status measures. Simple and multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess the impact of diabetes upon normalized change in QOL and improvement exceeding the MCID. Results There were 212 patients who met inclusion criteria. Whereas non-diabetics experienced significant improvements in EQ-5D, PDQ, and PHQ-9 (p<.01), diabetics experienced no significant changes in any measures. More non-diabetics achieved the EQ-5D MCID compared with diabetics (55% vs. 23%, p<.01). Following multivariable regression, chronic kidney disease (CKD, β=−0.15, p=.04) and diabetes (β=−0.05, p=.04) were identified as significant independent predictors of diminished improvement in EQ-5D postoperatively. Furthermore, diabetes was also identified as a significant independent predictor of failure to achieve an EQ-5D MCID (OR 0.20, p<.01), whereas CKD trended toward predicting diminished improvement (OR<0.01, p=.09). Conclusion The burden of comorbidities may impact the QOL benefit of decompression spine surgery. In the present study, diabetes was found to independently predict diminished improvement in QOL after lumbar decompression.