Cauda equina syndrome: real emergency or a misnomer—prospective observational study in a tertiary care centre

Abstract Introduction Cauda equina syndrome has a devastating effect on quality of life. Early diagnosis and intervention is the current practice, for better outcomes. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the influence of the timing of surgery in cauda equina syndrome outcomes. Materials and methods We conducted a prospective study of a cohort of patients presented with cauda equina syndrome. Based on the durations of symptoms, patients were divided into three groups less than 24 h, 24–48 h and more than 48 h. Outcomes in the form of sensations, motor power and bladder control improvements were observed at 6 months postoperatively. Statistical analysis is made in the form of percentage or Fischer’s exact p -value whichever is suitable. Results A total of 46 patients were included in the study. All patients have bladder symptoms at presentation. At the end of 6 months, we found that the timing of surgery or duration of symptoms does not have any correlation with outcomes. Conclusion Even though early surgical intervention is consensus in cauda equina syndrome, we suggest surgery as soon as pragmatically feasible but not at the expense of patient safety.