To audit patient satisfaction throughout the perioperative period amongst emergency and elective admissions in the spinal team.

92 patients were identified whom underwent operations within a 3 month period using the operating database. A self administered postal questionnaire was sent to assess preoperative waiting time, quality of preoperative assessment and information given, assessment of their admission, their experience throughout hospital stay and the quality of their post operative assessment and discharge.

Patient reported outcomes (PROMS)

Response rate 35% (32/92) of which 24 (14F 10M) were elective admissions and 8 emergency admissions (2F 6M). Average wait for elective procedure was 5.7 weeks (median 2).

63% of elective patients were seen in prescreening clinic and 79% of these received an information booklet prior to operation.

22% of patients had delayed discharge due to non clinical causes including awaiting transport, awaiting medications and physiotherapy clearance.

88% of patients reported they were given adequate information regarding post-operative daily activities.

79% of elective patients reported seeing a doctor on the day of their discharge however only 38% reported seeing a physiotherapist postoperatively. This fell to 0% for patients operated on a Friday.

Although 94% of patients reported that they were satisfied with the overall care they were given, they reported certain aspects of their clinical care being less than optimal.

Trust wide assessment of patient reported outcomes to assess and improve the quality of care against national guidelines.

Ethics Approval: Self questionnaire approved by ethics committee

Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK

To retrospectively review outcomes in patients who underwent vertebroplasty in Liverpool in response to recent level 1 publications claiming vertebroplasty to be no better than sham procedure assessed using 2 criteria. We reviewed cases between 2006 and 2009 looking at 5 criteria for procedure.

Visual Analogue Score (VAS)

Oswestry disability index scores (ODI)

96 patients identified. 10 patients excluded (inadequate data recorded) (n=86). Operated levels n=134 (thoracic n=61, lumbar n=71, sacral n=2).

Presenting symptoms included back pain (86/86) and point tenderness was present in 90% (77/86). Average length of symptoms was 11.50 months with 28% reporting greater than 12 months. 72% recalled definite onset of symptoms with 90% being associated with a low velocity injury. Radiological findings showed an average of 54% height collapse and 91% showing high signal on STIR MRI sequences. Number of levels operated – 3 or more (n=9 VAS 5.3 ODI 10.6); 1 to 2 levels (n= 77 VAS 3.7 ODI 13.9)

Average improvement in VAS score was 3.8.and ODI 13.6

47% (40/86) of patients met all 5 current criteria recommended for operation (VAS 3.7, ODI 14). 53% (46/86) of patients met 2-5 criteria (VAS 3.8, ODI 13.4).

There was improvement in pain scores in 91% of patients with an average pre-op VAS 7.8 and post-op VAS 4.0. There was no significant difference in patients meeting all 5 criteria compared to those meeting 2-5 criteria.