Every third disc surgery is not guideline-conform

21 December 2016, by Elena Granina

Male, middle aged and employed – People belonging to this target group are more likely to undergo a disc surgery than conservative treatment in the event of a slipped disc. This, however, goes against the guidelines established by the German Society of Neurosurgery as shown by a study conducted by the Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE). Every third patient suffering under a slipped disc is operated on prematurely. This is not primarily due to financial benefits for the hospitals, since many patients are also scared of not being able to further pursue their career.