Sooner May Be Better for Lumbar Decompression Surgery, Study Finds

Performing one type of back surgery sooner rather than later seemed to produce better outcomes in a study of injured workers in Ohio. The study looked at 227 claims in Ohio in which workers were treated with decompression surgery for degenerative lumbar stenosis. Half of injured workers who had the surgery within a year of experiencing symptoms returned to work, compared to a 30% return-to-work rate for those who had the surgery a year or more later. Return to work was defined as the employee being back on the job within two years after surgery and remaining at work for six months or more. ...