Waiting for lumbar spinal stenosis surgery: suffering and a possibility to discover coping abilities

Abstract

Objective The objective of this study was to describe aspects of suffering related to being a person with LSS and how suffering is managed before LSS surgery. Methods/design/setting A Swedish county hospital. Interviews with 18 consecutive patients on the waiting list for LSS surgery. The themes that emerged from content analysis were further interpreted using Antonovsky salutogenic model as a sensitizing concept. Results The suffering from LSS before surgery included the main theme of experiencing an impaired physical and social life and struggling to be believed and taken seriously. This had coping strategies to manage symptoms before surgery: a good physician-patient relationship alleviates the burden of long waiting times; ways to manage pain and disability; ambiguous expectations and hope for recovery, and; ways to handle concerns before surgery). Conclusion Being a person with LSS includes suffering and a possibility to discover coping abilities or having support structures for doing so. Our study emphasizes the importance of a supportive dialogue, where physicians and patients make the suffering from LSS and care before LSS surgery more comprehensible and manageable.