Surgery for acute spinal conditions in the over 80s… outcome similar as that for younger people, experts claim

Back surgery for debilitating spinal conditions causing leg and back pain, numbness and weakness should be an option more readily considered for people aged 80 years and over, says research in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Based on data from 105 people aged 80 and older and 1,130 people younger than 80 years, experts found significant benefit from surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis with and without degenerative spondylolisthesis, no higher overall complication rate and no higher mortality for the older group.
“This study demonstrates that surgery for the treatment of lumbar stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis provides significant benefit compared to nonoperative treatment in those patients over the age of 80,” explains Dr Jeffrey A. Rihn, lead author. “Patients in this age group had significant improvement in their function after surgery and complication rates comparable to the younger demographic.
“Based on the results of this study, surgery should be considered a viable treatment option for these lumbar conditions in patients older than age 80. Future studies are needed to better assess the cost-effectiveness of surgery in this patient population.”

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