Mother has a significant drinking problem she thinks we don’t know about. She’s planning to have some spinal surgery to correct a severe scoliosis she’s had since childhood. Should we say something to the surgeon about this?

Any type of surgery can be affected by a person’s lifestyle and habits. Being overweight, malnourished, or an alcoholic can impair healing and recovery. With spinal surgery, there are many potential risks just from the technical side of the surgery itself. Adding health issues and concerns increases the chances of negative outcomes.

Patient safety is always important. Preventing and reducing adverse events (AEs) is always at the top of every surgeon’s list of priorities. Adverse events are different from complications. Adverse events refer to any unexpected problems that occur.

Complications can be defined as adverse events that have a measurable or observable (negative) effect on patient results or outcomes. All that is to say, Yes the surgeon should be made aware of any concerns the family may have about the patient scheduled for corrective spinal surgery.

Every effort is made to assess patients for risk factors and to prevent such problems. Patients with heart problems, diabetes, obesity, and who smoke or abuse alcohol are the most likely to develop complications after any surgery including spinal corrective surgery.

The surgeon will be conducting a careful preoperative patient history and physical assessment. Questions to uncover the use (and abuse) of alcohol are standard but many patients deny this aspect of their lives. Your input could potentially save your mother from unnecessary complications.