Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Medical Journal of Bakirkoy, cilt.18, sa.3, ss.323-329, 2022 (ESCI)
© Copyright 2022 by Medical Journal of Bakırköy published by Galenos Yayınevi.Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and reliability of microscopic bilateral decompression with unilateral laminectomy in geriatric lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients and to compare the results with the younger patients. Methods: LSS patients who underwent micro-bilateral decompression with a unilateral approach (BiDUA) between May 2015 and June 2019 at (blinded) were retrospectively reviewed. Patients demographic characteristics, pre- and postoperative clinical and radiological features, pain scores and surgical details were evaluated. They were also grouped according to their age to compare the surgical efficacy and reliability in different age groups. Results: Fifty seven patients were included in our study. There were 28 males and 29 females. Mean age was 65.75±8.96 (46-82). Thirty one (54.4%) patients were 66 years or older. All patients complained of lower back pain and exhibited neurogenic claudication. Twenty nine patients (50.9%) received single-level, whereas 28 patients (49.1%) required double-level surgery. All patients’s neurogenic claudication-improved postsurgery. Nine patients experienced postoperative complications (5 dural injuries, 3 superficial wound infections and 1 cerebrospinal fluid fistula). There were statistically significant differences in both back pain and leg pain following surgery. However, there were no statistically significant differences in either visual analog scale back pain or leg pain scores between the age groups. Conclusion: Although the surgical treatment of LSS involves greater risks in elderly patients, we found no statistically significant difference in the complication rate between age groups following micro-BiDUA, which supports the efficacy and safety of micro-BiDUA for elderly patients.