Dedicated short-stay spinal unit.

Prolonged waiting periods for patients with benign spinal surgical lesions led to the creation of a Dedicated Short Stay Spinal Surgical Unit. This unit was implemented in November, 1992, on a 29 bed Neuroscience Unit in a 1200 bed Acute Care Teaching Hospital. Considerations for implementation were many, including psychological impact of chronic pain for patients on prolonged waiting lists, the increased probability of permanent waiting lists, the increased probability of permanent neurological deficits, and the economic impact to patient, societal and hospital budgets. This paper will focus on explanation of the design of the unit, define the benefits and provide study results of the first 85 patients admitted to the unit.