A Guidebook to the Patient Experience, Factors Involved in the Breakdown in Care, and How Anesthesiology Can Succeed

There is currently no standard of care in spinal leak care despite the wealth of research available and despite the prevalence of this problem at more than 2.3 million iatrogenic leaks caused annually in the US, growing at an accumulating rate of approximately 60% from year to year as research and the patient experience challenge the notion that spinal leaks tend to be self-limiting and that conservative treatment is effective.

In this guidebook, I have written an overview with current statistics, relevant research, survey responses from physicians, explanations of trends in patient care across specialties, and descriptions of patient experiences to provide a holistic perspective on what is happening in the world of spinal leak care.