[en] ackground Many people believe that the moon has an influence
on daily life, and some even request elective surgery
dates depending on the moon calendar. The aim of this study
was to assess the influence of ‘unfavorable’ lunar or zodiac
constellations on perioperative complications and outcome in
elective surgery for degenerative disc disease.
Methods Retrospective database analysis including 924 patients.
Using uni- and multivariate logistic regression, the likelihood
for intraoperative complications and re-do surgeries as
well as the clinical outcomes at 4 weeks was analyzed for
surgeries performed during the waxing moon, full moon,
and dates when the moon passed through the zodiac sign
‘Leo.’
Results In multivariate analysis, patients operated on during
the waxing moon were 1.54 times as likely as patients who
were operated on during the waning moon to suffer from an
intraoperative complication (OR 1.54, 95 % CI 1.07–2.21,
p =0.019). In contrast, there was a trend toward fewer re-do
surgeries for surgery during the waxing moon (OR 0.51, 95%
CI 0.23–1.16, p =0.109), while the 4-week responder status
was similar (OR 0.73, 95 % CI 0.47–1.14, p = 0.169). A full
moon and the zodiac sign Leo did not increase the likelihood
for complications, re-do surgeries or unfavorable outcomes.
Conclusions We found no influence of ‘unfavorable’ lunar or
zodiac constellations on the 4-week responder status or the
revision rate that would justify a moon calendar-based selection
approach to elective spine surgery dates. However, the
fact that patients undergoing surgery during the waxing moon
were more likely to suffer from an intraoperative complication
is a surprising curiosity and defies our ability to find a rational
explanation.
