Canadian Physicians' Use of Perioperative Botulinum Toxin Injections to Spastic Limbs: A Cross-sectional National Survey.
Farris Kassam, Sepehr Saeidiborojeni, Heather Finlayson and 2 others
PMID 34977540WHAT IT FOUND
74% of surveyed Canadian physicians who treat spasticity reported using botulinum toxin around surgery, and 85% believed it can improve surgical outcomes.
Forty-one percent reported not being notified of the surgery date.
Key findings
01Seventy-four percent of surveyed physicians reported administering perioperative botulinum toxin injections for patients with limb spasticity undergoing surgery.
02Eighty-five percent of physicians stated that perioperative botulinum toxin can improve surgical outcomes, and all physicians believed it did not contribute to perioperative complications or adverse effects.
03Forty-one percent of physicians experienced a time when they were not notified of their patient's surgery date.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The survey was voluntary and sent by email, so physicians with a strong interest in perioperative botulinum toxin may have been more likely to respond. Only 34 fully completed surveys were analysed, so the findings may not represent all Canadian physicians involved in spasticity management. 31 respondents were physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, 2 were orthopedic surgeons, and 1 was a plastic surgeon, so the surgeon perspective was limited. The survey reported what physicians believed and did, not patient outcomes measured after surgery. Physicians reported that their perioperative botulinum toxin use was not standardized and often differed from colleagues, so no single practice pattern can be inferred. The survey did not collect the most common causes of spasticity or the specific surgical procedures involved.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 85% belief as evidence that perioperative botulinum toxin improves surgical outcomes. This was a survey of 34 physicians' self-reported practice and beliefs, not a study of patient results.