MINNEAPOLIS — Compared with nonsurgical treatment, patients who underwent surgery to treat adult spinal deformity had a significant increase of quality-adjusted life years at 1, 2 and 3 years post-surgery, according to a speaker here.
Health-related quality of life outcomes and how they are affected by surgery have been researched before, but little is understood on how surgery affects quality-adjusted life years in patients opting for surgery, Justin K. Scheer, BS, said at the Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meeting.
“The operative treatment of adult spinal deformity does result in a significant increase of QALYs gained and mean QALYs at a minimum of 2 years postop and at the 1, 2, 3-year time points,” he said.
The study, nominated for a Hibbs Clinical Research Award at the meeting, included 221 nonoperative patients and 258 operative patients available for 2-year follow up.
Justin K. Scheer
The operative patients had a statistically significant gain in QALYs at 1, 2 and 3-year time points when compared to nonoperative patients. At the minimum 2-year follow up, operative patients gained 0.179 ± 0.24 QALYs from baseline, compared to 0.005 ± 0.186 QALYs for nonoperative patients (P < .0001), Scheer said.
Scheer noted the two groups had similar mean QALYs at all time points. At 2-year follow up, the surgical cohort had 1.32 ± 0.232 QALYs compared to 1.27 ± 0.204 for the nonsurgical cohort. – By Robert Linnehan
Reference:
Scheer JK, et al. Paper #36. Presented at: Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meeting; Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2015; Minneapolis.
Disclosure: Scheer reports no relevant financial disclosures.
