The effect of lower extremity nerve decompression on health-related quality of life and perception of pain in patients with painful diabetic polyneuropathy: a prospective randomized trial

AimsThe aim of this study was to assess whether surgical decompression of nerves in the lower extremity in people with painful diabetic polyneuropathy would have an effect on health-related quality of life and to determine minimal clinically important differences in pain and quality of life scores. MethodsThe design was a randomized controlled trial in which 42 participants with painful diabetic painful neuroapthy underwent unilateral decompression of nerves in their left or right leg, using the other leg as a control, with 12months follow-up. Surgical decompression was performed at the tibial, superficial, deep and common peroneal nerves. Preoperatively, and at 6 and 12months post operatively, a visual analogue scale for pain and the 36 item short-form health survey and EuroQual 5 Dimensions questionnaires were completed. ResultsAt 12months follow-up, the visual analogue scale was significantly reduced, but decompression surgery did not significantly alter health-related quality of life scores. The minimal clinically important difference for visual analogue scale reduction was determined at 2.9 points decrease, a threshold reached by 42.5% of the study population. ConclusionsAlthough decompression surgery does not influence health-related quality of life, it achieves a clinically relevant reduction of pain in 42.5% of people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. It can therefore be considered for patients who do not adequately respond to pain medication.