Associations between future health expectations and patient satisfaction after lumbar spine surgery: a longitudinal observational study of 9929 lumbar spine surgery procedures.

Patients operated for the common lumbar spine diseases LSS or LDH, with negative future general health expectations, were significantly less satisfied with treatment than patients with positive expectations with regard to future general health. These findings are important for patients, and for the surgeons who counsel them, when surgery is a treatment option for LSS or LDH.