ArticleBritish journal of pain2021
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients awaiting spinal cord stimulation surgery in the United Kingdom: a multi-centre patient survey.
Article in British journal of pain, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Ethical aspects of waiting lists in neurosurgery.Acta neurochirurgica · 2026Review
- Development and Feasibility Study of a Triage Tool for Early Referral to Spinal Cord Stimulation for Patients With Chronic Low Back and Leg Pain.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2025Article
- Social support and mental well-being among people with and without chronic illness during the Covid-19 pandemic: evidence from the longitudinal UCL covid survey.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- The Diagnostic Odyssey of Patients with Chronic Neuropathic Pain-Expert Opinion of Greek Pain Specialists.Clinics and practice · 2023Review
- Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic to Improve the Health, Social Care, and Well-being of Minoritized Ethnic Groups With Chronic Conditions or Impairments: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.JMIR research protocols · 2022Article
- Impact on neurosurgical management in a Level 1 trauma center post COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions.Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia · 2022Article
- Physical and Psychological Health Behavior Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic that May Inform Surgical Prehabilitation: a Narrative Review.Current anesthesiology reports · 2022Review
- Letter to Editor Regarding: "Economic Impact of COVID-19 on a High-Volume Academic Neurosurgical Practice".World neurosurgery · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSpinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a recommended treatment for chronic refractory neuropathic pain. During the COVID-19 pandemic, elective procedures have been postponed indefinitely both to provide capacity to deal with the emergency caseload and to avoid exposure of elective patients to COVID-19. This survey aimed to explore the effect of the pandemic on chronic pain in this group and the views of patients towards undergoing SCS treatment when routine services should resume.
methodsThis was a prospective, multi-centre telephone patient survey that analysed data from 330 patients with chronic pain who were on an SCS waiting list. Questions focussed on severity of pain, effect on mental health, medication consumption and reliance on support networks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Views towards undergoing SCS therapy were also ascertained. Counts and percentages were generated, and chi-square tests of independence explored the impact of COVID-19 risk (very high, high, low) on survey responses.
resultsPain, mental health and patient's ability to self-manage pain deteriorated in around 47%, 50% and 38% of patients, respectively. Some patients reported increases in pain medication consumption (37%) and reliance on support network (41%). Patients showed a willingness to attend for COVID-19 testing (92%), self-isolate prior to SCS (94%) and undergo the procedure as soon as possible (76%).
conclusionOur findings suggest that even during the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains a strong clinical need for patients with chronic pain identified as likely SCS responders to be treated quickly. The current prioritisation of new SCS at category 4 (delayed more than 3 months) is challenged judging by this national survey. These patients are awaiting SCS surgery to relieve severe intractable neuropathic pain. A priority at category 3 (delayed up to 3 months) or in some selected cases, at category 2 are the appropriate priority categories.
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