Objective To investigate the compliance status of intermittent pneumatic compression device (IPCD) in patients after lumbar surgery, and to analyze the reasons and influencing factors affecting compliance. Methods The continuous enrollment method was used to select patients who underwent posterior decompression for lumbar degenerative diseases in the orthopedic department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital between December 2022 and June 2023. The general information of patients and their compliance with IPCD were collected, and the reasons that affected compliance were analyzed. ResultsA total of 46 patients were included. The overall proportion of patients with good compliance was relatively low, and their compliance was poor. On the first and second day after surgery, the daytime compliance was relatively good (the proportion range of excellent compliance was 39%-52%); the compliance at night was significantly lower than that during the daytime (the proportion range of excellent compliance was 21%-26%); after 3 days of surgery, the patients’ compliance significantly decreased. A total of 460 time periods were observed and 195 reasons for not using IPCD were collected. The main reasons were physical discomfort caused by the device, inconvenience during bedside activities, and little significance to the patient. The compliance of female patients was better than that of males (P<0.05). Patients with education level of primary school and below had the highest compliance, while patients with high school and above had the lowest compliance (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in compliance among patients of different age groups (P>0.05). Conclusions The overall compliance of patients with IPCD after lumbar surgery is poor, which is an urgent clinical problem, and the adaptability and cognitive level of patients to the device are the main factors affecting compliance. In clinical nursing work, men and patients with higher education level should be strengthened.