Patient Experiences of Perioperative Care in Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Qualitative Study.
Giorgia Petrucci, Gianluca Vadalà, Fabrizio Russo and 3 others
PMID 42529814WHAT IT FOUND
Patients after lumbar spine surgery described severe preoperative pain, fear of losing ability to walk, relief after surgery, and early difficulty moving.
Clear explanations and trust in staff were important to feeling safe; some still worried about recurrence.
Key findings
01Patients described severe preoperative pain, limited daily activity, and fear of losing the ability to walk.
02Most participants felt relief after surgery, but many had early difficulties with mobility and basic self-care.
03Clear explanations and trust in healthcare professionals were frequently reported as reassuring, while some participants remained uncertain about surgical details and worried about recurrence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done at a single orthopaedic centre in Italy, so the experiences may not transfer to other settings. Only 20 patients who attended 1-month follow-up were interviewed, so patients who did not attend may be missing. Interviews were retrospective, about 1 month after surgery, so preoperative memories may have been coloured by the postoperative experience. Interviews were short, 7 to 15 min, which may have limited depth. No member checking was done, so participants did not review the themes. Participants had to speak and understand Italian and could not have severe cognitive impairment, limiting who was included.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the European Union, Next Generation EU, NRRP M6C2 Investment 2.1, with grant references PNRR-MAD-2022-12376692 and PNRR-MCNT2-2023-12378359. The authors declared no conflicts of interest and said no AI or AI-assisted technologies were used in writing, analysis, or preparation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this as evidence that surgery, nurse-led education, or clear explanations improve clinical outcomes. It describes 20 patients' retrospective experiences, with no comparison group or measured recovery outcomes.