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Significant differences in back surgery in Germany recognizable
In recent years it has often been criticized that in German hospitals too much and too fast surgery. The review has obviously changed little. New figures show that in this country more and more surgical procedures for back pain occur. However, there are enormous regional differences.
Conservative therapies for back problems are usually sufficient
Back pain is one of the most common health problems in this country. Patients are usually advised not to be overly concerned about complaints, but rather to strengthen their backs through exercise. However, although conservative therapies for back pain are often sufficient according to experts and an operation rarely makes sense, more and more patients with such symptoms are coming to the hospital in Germany.
In Germany, more and more people are undergoing surgery for back pain. However, there are enormous regional differences. (Image: BillionPhotos.com/fotolia.com) More and more back operations
The surgical procedures due to low back pain have increased significantly. This is shown by a study commissioned by the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Accordingly, the back operations increased from 2007 to 2015 by 71 percent from 452,000 to 772,000.
It is striking that "certain back surgeries are performed differently depending on the place of residence of the patients," writes the foundation in a statement.
According to the information, there are big differences depending on the region, whether the doctors operate or choose a different treatment method.
Extreme regional differences
"In some regions, the operation is up to 13 times more frequent than elsewhere," headlines the Bertelsmann Stiftung.
Serious regional differences are therefore evident in complex stiffening operations (spinal foci). For example, in patients in the district of Fulda 13 times as many interventions take place as in Frankfurt / Oder.
In addition, many districts in Thuringia, Hesse and Saarland have conspicuously high numbers of operations per 100,000 inhabitants. In most Saxon circles and in Bremen such OPs are much less common.
Distances of bony structures on the spinal canal (decompression operations) were also found to be 13-fold, and 6-fold for disc surgery.
"Medically, these great differences are unexplainable," it says in the message.
In "OP-strongholds" the situation has come to a head in recent years. "There is an urgent need for more transparency about local health care in order to avoid over- or undersupply," said Brigitte Mohn, CEO of the Bertelsmann Stiftung.
Many measures can be done on an outpatient basis
The Bertelsmann Foundation's "Factsheet on Health" has also found that the number of patients hospitalized for back pain has risen from 116,000 in 2007 to 200,000 in 2015.
That's an increase of 73 percent. Again, the big and increasing differences between the circles are striking.
Many hospital stays are avoidable, since the majority of these patients received no specific pain therapy or surgical interventions in the hospital, but predominantly only diagnostic services, for example an MRI. Such measures could mostly be done on an outpatient basis.
Individual preferences of the doctors
"Operating or not - it depends on the habits of the doctors," the experts write.
Why the supply in the regions is so different, it is difficult to explain with the available data. Many factors played together and that varies depending on the region.
However, large regional deviations are an indication that the organization of care and the procedure for the diagnosis and treatment of back problems differ greatly.
"Local care patterns increase when clear medical guidelines are lacking," says Eckhard Volbracht, health expert at the Bertelsmann Stiftung.
"However, the decision to undergo surgery should not be based on individual preferences of local physicians."
Patients are always advised to obtain a second medical opinion before surgery if in doubt. (Ad)