Purpose
In this study, we investigated the association between the body mass index (BMI) and varicocele recurrence post-intervention in our local Saudi population. We also explored the association between recurrence and other predictors such as age, laterality, indication for surgery, type of intervention, clinical grade, testicular delivery, and method of ligation.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study, including all patients who had microscopic varicocelectomy surgery or radiographic embolization for varicoceles over a five-year period. The data included demographic information and intervention-related variables. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyze the data.
Results
We included 147 patients who had microscopic varicocelectomy surgery or radiographic embolization. We categorized the patients according to their BMI as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. We found no statistical association between any BMI group and the recurrence of varicocele (P>0.05). However, there was a significant association between the clinical grade and recurrence (P<0.05).
Conclusion
This study did not show any significant correlation between height, weight, BMI, and varicocele recurrence after an intervention. The only predictor of varicocele recurrence was the clinical grade.
Objectives:
Lumbar spinal decompression surgery is a well-studied intervention in its benefit in pain control. It can also improve physical activity that indirectly facilitates glycemic control in diabetic patients and weight loss in obese patients. This study aimed to assess the changes of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and body mass index (BMI) in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) post-intervention at 6- and 12-month follow-ups.
Methods:
This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with LSS who had lumbar decompression, with or without instrumentation at King Abdulaziz Medical City, from 2016 and 2020. Patients over 18 years, treated surgically for LSS, were included with a minimum of a 1-year follow-up. Patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus, with comorbidities, that limited physical activity, or without follow-up records were excluded from the study.
Results:
In total, 140 patients were included in the study. They had three underlying diseases: LSS (n = 87, 62.1%), spondylolisthesis (n = 37, 26.4%), and degenerative disc disease (n = 16, 11.4%). Results showed that obese patients were associated with the lower BMI at 6- and 12- month follow-ups compared to the non-obese. In addition, there was a statistical difference in HbA1c change at follow-ups between controlled (HbA1c <7) and uncontrolled diabetes groups (HbA1c ≥7).
Conclusion:
Lumbar spinal decompression can help in the reduction of BMI of obese patients with LSS. However, there is a need for extensive investigation of the reasons for the contradicting results of an increase in the HbA1c level at 12-month follow-up in the current study.
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