OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of Neuropathic Pain(NP) and newly occurred (de novo) NP postoperatively. This study also aimed to identify the disease burden(pain severity and quality of life (QoL)) of NP METHODS: This study was a nationwide, multi-centered, prospective, and observational study. It was conducted from September 2011 to December 2012 and included a total of 1,109 patients who were scheduled for lumbar spinal surgery from 44 spinal centers (both orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgeons). Patients were diagnosed of having NP if the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) pain scale criteria were ≥12 points. The patients were investigated to assess their pain severity using pain numeric rating scale (NRS) and quality of life using EuroQol(EQ)-5D at baseline, after 1 week and 3 months of the surgery. RESULTS: Among 1,109 patents, at baseline, NP was identified in 404(36%) patients. After 1 week and 3 months of the surgery, NP was found in 8.6% and 4.0% patients respectively. Among the 705 patients without NP preoperatively, the prevalence of de novo NP occurred in the 1 week and 3 months of post-surgery was 3.1% and 2.3% respectively. At baseline, NP patients showed lower QoL compared with non-NP patients (0.49 vs 0.53 p<.001). However, NP patients improved more their QoL compared to non-NP patients after 3 months (0.86 vs 0.84 p=.029). Among the de novo NP patients at 3 months after surgery (n=16), the pain severity was not improved after 1 week and 3 months of the surgery.  CONCLUSIONS: In Korea, NP patients were suffered from severe pain and lower QoL than non-NP patients. De novo NP caused severe pain which may not easily be handled. Those study findings highlight that timely diagnosis and management of NP are required in patients with lumbar spine surgery.