About This Blog:
- According to a research study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), older patients who sustain a spinal cord injury are less likely to undergo surgery over younger patients.
- This determination is often based on the time it would take for older patients to safely recover from surgery.
- Dr. Mark Giovanini of NeuroMicroSpine discusses the study’s findings about how age shouldn’t necessarily impact treatment time and options for older patients with spinal cord injuries.
Researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada analyzed more than 1,400 patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries to understand why some patients receive certain treatments over others. The patients were divided into research groups based on their age.
Roughly 12% of the patients involved in the study were over the age of 70. Although 83% of the older patients were more likely to receive a spinal cord injury from a fall (only 37% of the younger patients sustained injuries from falls), younger patients were more likely to sustain more severe injuries, often resulting in paralysis.
According to the study, older patients experienced a wait time that was twice as long as it was for patients in the younger group to receive care. Once admitted for care, older patients still waited about twice as long for surgery. The research also indicated older patients were significantly more likely to die from their spinal cord injury than younger patients.
Some of these delays, according to the study’s authors, may be due to therapeutic biases. Dr. Mark Giovanini of NeuroMicroSpine understands the frustration these older groups often face due to therapeutic biases that follow them, which is why he strives to administer the best care possible, regardless of a patient’s age.
If you’re suffering from back pain, it shouldn’t matter if you’re 25 or 70; you deserve to be treated with respect. Call Dr. Mark Giovanini of NeuroMicroSpine today to schedule an appointment for your back pain. Your pain may indicate and underlying condition that could benefit from minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Giovanini’s techniques allow patients to recover from their surgery faster and get them back to doing the things they love most!
For more information on minimally invasive spine surgery or to make an appointment with Dr. Giovanini, please call (850) 934-7545 or visit http://www.neuromicrospine.com/request-appointment.
We hope to see you soon!
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.