A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Patient Experiences of Pain Before and After Spine Surgery

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the preoperative and postoperative experiences of spine surgery from the patient's perspective to help inform behavioral health services provided before, during, and after hospitalization. SETTING: Single urban academic tertiary care hospital. METHODS: Semistructured interviews with 14 adults who underwent spine surgery. Interview transcriptions were analyzed using content analysis by three investigators to identify emergent themes. RESULTS: Three broad domains with associated themes emerged from the analysis: 1) preoperative experience-preparation, worries, and expectations; 2) recovery process-activity and pain management strategies; and 3) postoperative support in recovery-family and social support. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this qualitative descriptive study can be used to guide future perioperative behavioral health services for patients undergoing spinal surgery. Establishing realistic expectations of spine surgery and a comprehensive pain management plan are essential for adequate preoperative preparation. Furthermore, family involvement in the preoperative preparation for surgery is important for support of the patient during the recovery process.