European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Lumbar epidural steroid injections (LESIs) are widely utilized for back pain. However, as studies report adverse effects from these injections, defining a safe interval for their use preoperatively is necessary. We investigated the effects of preoperative LESI timing on the rates of recurrent microdiscectomy. ⋯ In this study, microdiscectomy performed within 6 weeks following LESIs was associated with a higher risk of reoperation, while microdiscectomy performed more than 6 weeks from the most recent LESI demonstrated no such association with increased risk. Further research into the interaction between LESIs and recurrent disk herniation is necessary.