Factors determining postoperative and outpatient follow-up period in patients undergoing single lumbar disc herniation.

The precise evaluation of postoperative outcomes in patients with lumbar disc surgery is quite difficult since the pre-operative factors and patient responses differ. Several questionnaires assess the outcome of herniated lumbar disc surgeries. However, the clinical outcome may vary widely, indicating the significance of precise preoperative assessments to ensure better outcome prediction. Previous long-term studies suggest fewer positive outcomes in cases with prolonged preoperative history. In the present retrospective study, we aimed to assess the outcome of patients with lumbar discectomy in Iraqi patients by evaluating the surgical outcome. This research was performed in the orthopedic center of the Teaching Hospital of Adiwaniyah Province, Iraq. The study was based on retrieving hospital records of patients who were subjected to surgical intervention for lumbar disc herniation from 2018 to 2022. The sample consisted of patients with lumbar disc herniation who were subjected to discectomy at one level even in cases where both approaches were used. Age, gender, income, education level, and degree of disc involvement did not significantly correlate with the type of surgical approach (p>0.05); however, there were significant positive correlations to body mass index and duration of disease (p<0.05). Therefore, the body mass index and duration of disease are significant predictors of prolonged postoperative follow-up and hospital stay duration.