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Study: Smoking has impact on success of spinal cord stimulation
BOSTON — Smokers have a 70% likelihood of not having successful spinal cord stimulation, according to data presented at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, here.
Priscilla De La Cruz, MD, and colleagues at the Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y., studied controllable factors, such as body mass index (BMI), depression, illegal drug use, workers’ compensation status and smoking, on the success rate of spinal cord stimulation. The retrospective study included 57 patients who underwent spinal cord stimulation and for whom 6-month postoperative data were available.
Overall, there were 10 failures and 47 successes, with smokers comprising 80% of the failed group and 30% of the success group. Workers’ compensation status, BMI and depression did not have an impact on the success rate of spinal cord stimulation. Illegal drug use also had a negative effect on the success rates of spinal cord stimulation for patients, she said.
“A physician intervention of 3 minutes or less yields a 10.2% increase in cessation rates. While 89% of surgical residents inquire about patient smoking status, only 38% felt prepared to consult their patients,” she said.
De La Cruz concluded that physician intervention 4 weeks before surgery can increase smoking cessation rates, increase the success rate for SCS and decrease wound healing complications after surgery. – by Robert Linnehan
Reference:
De La Cruz P. Paper #102. Presented at: Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting; Oct. 18-22, 2014; Boston.
Disclosures: De La Cruz has no relevant financial disclosures.