Why Your Patient’s Dinner Plate Might Predict Their Post-Op Course

When the Japan Association of Spine Surgeons with Ambition (yes, that’s their real name — and they’ve earned it) looked at outcomes after surgery for metastatic spinal tumors, they weren’t checking pedicle screw torque or blood loss. Instead, they asked a deceptively simple question: How hungry is your patient?

Turns out, pretty hungry — at least for better outcomes.