Treatment delay from onset of occipital neuralgia symptoms to treatment with nerve decompression surgery: a prospective cohort study

The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate the time between onset of occipital neuralgia symptoms and nerve decompression surgery, (2) perform a cost comparison analysis between surgical and nonsurgical treatment of occipital neuralgia, and (3) report postoperative results of nerve decompression fo...

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Published in:Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) Mass.), 2024-05, Vol.25 (5), p.334-343
Main Authors: Hazewinkel, Merel H J, Remy, Katya, Black, Grant, Tseng, Sierra, Mathew, Paul G, Schoenbrunner, Anna, Janis, Jeffrey E, Austen, Jr, William G, Jotwani, Rohan, Gfrerer, Lisa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Cohort Studies
Decompression, Surgical - methods
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neuralgia - surgery
Prospective Studies
Time-to-Treatment
Treatment Delay
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate the time between onset of occipital neuralgia symptoms and nerve decompression surgery, (2) perform a cost comparison analysis between surgical and nonsurgical treatment of occipital neuralgia, and (3) report postoperative results of nerve decompression for occipital neuralgia. Subjects (n = 1112) who underwent screening for nerve decompression surgery were evaluated for occipital neuralgia. Of those, 367 patients (33%) met the inclusion criteria. Timing of occipital neuralgia symptom onset and pain characteristics were prospectively collected. Cost associated with the nonsurgical treatment of occipital neuralgia was calculated for the period between onset of symptoms and surgery. A total of 226 patients (73%) underwent occipital nerve decompression. The average time between onset of occipital neuralgia and surgery was 19 years (7.1-32). Postoperatively, the median number of pain days per month decreased by 17 (0-26, 57%) (P 
ISSN:1526-2375
1526-4637
1526-4637
DOI:10.1093/pm/pnad154