ArticleGeriatrics & gerontology international2025
Possible negative impact of polypharmacy on surgical outcomes in older patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.
Article in Geriatrics & gerontology international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Association of polypharmacy and perioperative outcomes: Systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of perioperative practicePooled it
- Percutaneous Endoscopic Decompression versus Non-Operative Care for Radicular Pain in the Oldest-Old with Lumbar Stenosis: A Target Trial Emulation Focusing on Pain Relief and Deprescribing.Clinical interventions in aging · 2026Trial
- Integrating Mental Health Into Surgical Care: A Qualitative Study of a Perioperative Mental Health Intervention.Annals of surgery open : perspectives of surgical history, education, and clinical approaches · 2026Article
- Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale Assessment of Surgical Treatment Outcomes in Older Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Patients with Locomotive Syndrome Stage Three: Comparing Stage-Based and Minimal Clinically Important Difference-Based Improvements.Spine surgery and related research · 2026Article
- Possible negative impact of polypharmacy on surgical outcomes in older patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2025Article
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10 authors.
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Abstract
aimOlder patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) have a higher incidence of polypharmacy attributed to comorbidities and the use of pain relief medications. This study aimed to explore the effect of polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy on surgical outcomes in older patients with LSS based on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and locomotive syndrome.
methodsConsecutive patients aged ≥65 years who underwent lumbar spinal surgery for LSS were retrospectively reviewed. We assessed the preoperative and 1- and 2-year postoperative scores of three common HRQOL tools and the 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale. The patients were classified into the hyperpolypharmacy group (those taking ≥10 medications), polypharmacy group (those taking 6-9 medications) and non-polypharmacy group (those taking ≤5 medications).
resultsIn total, 148 participants were evaluated. Among them, 35 were included in the non-polypharmacy group. There were no significant changes in the HRQOL and locomotive syndrome stage at baseline, even with polypharmacy progression. However, the HRQOL and locomotive syndrome stage worsened postoperatively with polypharmacy progression. When surgical efficacy was directly examined, results showed that the surgical outcomes were significantly associated with polypharmacy progression in older patients with LSS, even after adjusting for potential confounders.
conclusionsPolypharmacy, especially hyperpolypharmacy, had a negative impact on surgical outcomes in older patients with LSS. The number of prescription drugs should be taken into consideration before surgery in this patient group. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2025; 25: 31-37.
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