Publications by authors named "Eric Potts"

Objective: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) shows varying levels of improvement after surgical treatment. While some patients improve soon after surgery, others may take months to years to show any signs of improvement. The goal of this study was to evaluate postoperative improvement, patient-reported outcomes, and patient satisfaction up to 2 years after surgical treatment for CSM, which will help optimize the current treatment strategies and effectively manage patient expectations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The purpose of this work is to provide an understanding of the medicolegal landscape with regards to ambulatory surgery centers and physician owned hospitals, trends in our healthcare system, the benefits of facility ownership for both outpatient and inpatient spine surgery, and the effect of each on physicians and patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the impact of revision surgery on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following initial surgeries for grade 1 spondylolisthesis, comparing decompression-only and decompression plus fusion (D+F) treatments.
  • Data was collected from over 600 patients, revealing that 13.3% of decompression-only patients and 9.8% of D+F patients required revision surgery within 5 years, with revision patients reporting worse outcomes.
  • The findings indicate that while revision surgery affects PROs adversely, patients undergoing D+F see a more significant decline in their reported outcomes compared to those who only had decompression surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the rate of achievement of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and satisfaction between cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) patients with and without class III obesity who underwent surgery.

Methods: The authors analyzed patients from the 14 highest-enrolling sites in the prospective Quality Outcomes Database CSM cohort. Patients were dichotomized based on whether or not they were obese (class III, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to explore the long-term effects of body mass index (BMI) on surgical outcomes in patients with low-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis, specifically comparing obese (BMI ≥ 35) and nonobese (BMI < 35) patients.
  • Among 608 patients studied, those with a BMI ≥ 35 were generally younger, reported more severe pain and disability at baseline, and had a higher likelihood of requiring fusion surgery compared to their nonobese counterparts.
  • Five years after surgery, no significant differences were found in readmission rates or reoperation rates between the BMI groups, although higher BMI was linked to lower chances of achieving important clinical improvements post-surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Depression and anxiety are associated with poor outcomes following spine surgery. However, the influence of these conditions on achieving a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) following lumbar spine surgery, as well as the potential compounding effects of comorbid depression and anxiety, is not well understood. This study explores the impact of comorbid depression and anxiety on long-term clinical outcomes following surgical treatment for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Myelopathy in the cervical spine can present with diverse symptoms, many of which can be debilitating for patients. Patients with radiculopathy symptoms demonstrate added complexity because of the overlapping symptoms and treatment considerations. The authors sought to assess outcomes in patients with myelopathy presenting with or without concurrent radiculopathy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Lumbar decompression and/or fusion surgery is a common operation for symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis refractory to conservative management. Multiyear follow-up of patient outcomes can be difficult to obtain but allows for identification of preoperative patient characteristics associated with durable pain relief, improved functional outcome, and higher patient satisfaction.

Methods: A query of the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) low-grade spondylolisthesis module for patients who underwent surgery for grade 1 lumbar spondylolisthesis (from July 2014 to June 2016 at the 12 highest-enrolling sites) was used to identify patient satisfaction, as measured with the North American Spine Society (NASS) questionnaire, which uses a scale of 1-4.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and/or transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), referred to as "PLIF/TLIF," is a commonly performed operation for lumbar spondylolisthesis. Its long-term cost-effectiveness has not been well described. The aim of this study was to determine the 5-year cost-effectiveness of PLIF/TLIF for grade 1 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis using prospective data collected from the multicenter Quality Outcomes Database (QOD).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) experience progressive neurological impairment. Surgical intervention is often pursued to halt neurological symptom progression and allow for recovery of function. In this paper, the authors explore predictors of patient satisfaction following surgical intervention for CSM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to compare dysphagia rates and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after long-segment anterior (ACF) versus posterior (PCF) cervical spinal fusion, assessing patients at 3 and 12 months post-surgery.
  • - A total of 132 patients were analyzed, showing similar dysphagia rates and severity for both ACF and PCF procedures over time, though patients with PCF experienced worse neck disability scores at the 3-month mark.
  • - The results indicate that while both types of surgery had similar dysphagia rates, those with dysphagia reported lower quality of life scores, suggesting that long-term issues may stem from structural changes related to the surgery itself.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study is a retrospective analysis of data collected from patients who underwent surgery for low grade spondylolisthesis, aiming to identify factors that predict delayed improvement post-surgery.
  • Among the 436 patients included, most experienced quick clinical enhancements, but about 21.4% showed delayed recovery, reaching the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) at 12 months rather than 3 months.
  • Key factors linked to this delayed improvement were poorer pre-surgery walking ability, better initial pain scores, and worse leg pain scores at the 3-month mark.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Deficiency in patient education has been correlated with increased disease-related morbidity and decreased access to care. However, the associations between educational level, preoperative disease severity, and postoperative outcomes in patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis have yet to be explored.

Methods: The spondylolisthesis dataset of the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD)-a cohort with prospectively collected data by the SpineCORe study team of the 12 highest enrolling sites with an 81% follow-up at 5 years -was utilized and stratified for educational level.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The comparative effectiveness of decompression plus lumbar facet arthroplasty versus decompression plus instrumented lumbar spinal fusion in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and grade-I degenerative spondylolisthesis is unknown.

Methods: In this randomized, controlled, Food and Drug Administration Investigational Device Exemption trial, we assigned patients who had single-level lumbar spinal stenosis and grade-I degenerative spondylolisthesis to undergo decompression plus lumbar facet arthroplasty (arthroplasty group) or decompression plus fusion (fusion group). The primary outcome was a predetermined composite clinical success score.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of a prospective, multicenter registry.

Objective: To assess whether upper or lower limb mJOA improvement more strongly associates with patient satisfaction after surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Summary Of Background Data: The modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) is commonly used to assess functional status in patients with CSM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare outcomes between two surgical procedures—posterior foraminotomy and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)—for patients with cervical radiculopathy, focusing on both clinical results and patient-reported outcomes (PROs).
  • Researchers analyzed data from 7,805 patients, matching 216 who had posterior foraminotomy to 1,080 who had ACDF based on 29 variables.
  • Results showed that while both procedures were similar in PROs, ACDF had higher patient satisfaction, shorter hospital stays were associated with posterior foraminotomy, and it also faced higher reoperation rates within a year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: This study sought to determine the efficacy of a complex multi-institutional sodium oxychlorosene-based infection protocol for decreasing the rate of surgical site infection after instrumented spinal surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD). Infection prevention protocols have not been previously studied in ASD patients.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of patients who underwent posterior instrumented spinal fusion of the thoracic or lumbar spine for deformity correction between January 1, 2011, and May 31, 2019.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) can cause significant difficulty with driving and a subsequent reduction in an individual's quality of life due to neurological deterioration. The positive impact of surgery on postoperative patient-reported driving capabilities has been seldom explored.

Methods: The CSM module of the Quality Outcomes Database was utilized.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: It is not clear whether there is an additive effect of social factors in keeping patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) from achieving both a minimum clinically important difference (MCID) in outcomes and satisfaction after surgery. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of multiple social factors on postoperative outcomes and satisfaction.

Methods: This was a multiinstitutional, retrospective study of the prospective Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) CSM cohort, which included patients aged 18 years or older who were diagnosed with primary CSM and underwent operative management.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of the best 24-month improvements in patients undergoing surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). For this purpose, the authors leveraged a large prospective cohort of surgically treated patients with CSM to identify factors predicting the best outcomes for disability, quality of life, and functional status following surgery.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Study Design: Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database.

Objective: Assess differences in preoperative status and postoperative outcomes among patients of different educational backgrounds undergoing surgical management of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Summary Of Background Data: Patient education level (EL) has been suggested to correlate with health literacy, disease perception, socioeconomic status (SES), and access to health care.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a known risk factor for postsurgical and systemic complications after lumbar spinal surgery. Smaller studies have also demonstrated diminished improvements in patient-reported outcomes (PROs), with increased reoperation and readmission rates after lumbar surgery in patients with DM. The authors aimed to examine longer-term PROs in patients with DM undergoing lumbar decompression and/or arthrodesis for degenerative pathology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the preoperative patient characteristics that affect surgical decision-making when selecting an anterior or posterior operative approach in patients diagnosed with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Methods: This was a multi-institutional, retrospective study of the prospective Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy module. Patients aged 18 years or older diagnosed with primary CSM who underwent multilevel (≥ 2-level) elective surgery were included.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF