The Effect of Initial Visual Analog Scale Score on Results in Cervical Laser Discectomy

Objective There is disagreement as to whether percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) is effective. This may be attributed to incorrect patient selection because of the need of additional criteria. This study is investigating whether initial visual analog scale (VAS) score has an effect on outcomes of cervical PLDD and whether it could be a patient selection criterion. Material and Methods: Cervical PLDD patients were divided into 3 groups according to initial VAS scores as Group-I (VAS:3-5), Group-IIa (VAS:6-7) and Group-IIb (VAS:8-9). Datas analyzed retrospectively and compared with the VAS scores during 12-month follow-up. Relationship between initial VAS scores and success of procedure was investigated. Patient satisfaction was also evaluated according to Odom criteria. Results: In sum, 79.16 % of the patients were satisfied from the procedure. However, the satisfaction rate was 96.15% in Group-I, 76.47 % in Group-IIa, and 0.0 % in Group-IIb. The mean initial VAS scores of patients who were satisfied with the procedure was 5.08 but 7.30 of dissatisfied ones. Number of affected discs and patient age have no effect on the results. Conclusion: Initial VAS scores are directly correlated with patient outcomes. Patients with higher than initial VAS scores of 5, must be rejected for the procedure.