Does Obesity Make an Influence on Surgical Outcomes Following Lumbar Microdiscectomy?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of patients' bod mass index (BMI) on surgical outcomes following one-level lumbar microdiscectomy. METHODS: From June 2003 to March 2007, 129 patients underwent one-level lumbar microdiscectomy performed at a single institution. We divided the patients into 3 groups, depending on BMI. A retrospective study was conducted among the 3 groups. The operation time, estimated blood loss (EBL), postoperative hospital day, recurrent disc herniation, intraoperative durotomy, and postoperative epidural steroid injection were analyzed. Regression models were used to predict the relationship between BMI and surgical outcomes including operation time and EBL. RESULTS: As BMI is greater, as the operation time is longer and the EBL is more. In particular, linear regression model analysis implied that 2.35 minute in the operation time is longer and 8.89cc in EBL is more, as BMI of 1 kg/m(2) is increased. No statistically relevant differences were observed for postoperative hospital day, recurrent disc herniation, intraoperative durotomy, and postoperative epidural steroid injection. CONCLUSION: The operation time and EBL was significantly increased in obesity, but there were no differences in surgical outcomes. Our results demonstrated that higher BMI are not likely to encounter heightened morbidity in lumbar microdiscectomy.