The initial thought of neck or back surgery can be intimidating and fill you with a sense of foreboding, but educating yourself on how spine surgeries are performed today, as well as their rates of success, can help you to relax and feel better about the situation. For one thing, if you have just been diagnosed with a spinal condition, the idea of surgery should not even be crossing your mind. On the other hand, if it appears that surgery is necessary to relieve neck or back symptoms like pain, numbness, tingling, sharpness, and general discomfort, you should begin to educate yourself as well as you can about the potential benefits and risks associated with spine surgery. Below, you will find useful information briefly touching on spine surgeries and what you can expect, should you elect to undergo a procedure.

Different Types of Spine Surgeries

Not all spine surgeries are the same. The spine is a complex structure, and many different abnormalities can cause even more symptoms. Your MRI or CT scan should enable physicians to accurately discern the underlying cause of your spinal abnormality, allowing them to appropriately treat your condition. The type of surgery you will receive will depend upon your underlying condition, which may be a bulging disc, herniated disc, or spinal stenosis, among several others. Specifically, your surgery may seek to partially or completely remove an intervertebral disc, reduce the incidence of a bone spur, or simply to increase the space in a constricted spinal canal. Before your surgery, you should conduct research of your own to find out additional information about the specific type of procedure you will be receiving.

Open Spine Surgeries

Open spine surgeries, which have long been considered the standard, often require overnight hospital stays. General anesthesia is administered to completely sedate patients for the duration of the procedure. Large incisions are made either through the neck, back, or abdomen to expose the spine to the naked eye to obtain a look into your spinal anatomy. Then, a series of medical instruments will be used to complete your surgery. Open spine surgeries often can leave large scars behind.

Minimally Invasive Surgeries

Minimally invasive surgeries are typically outpatient procedures and generally do not require overnight hospital stays. Generally, only local anesthesia and IV sedation are administered for these types of procedures. Instead of large incisions, only a small incision, no larger than an inch in diameter, will be made. From there, a series of tubes and an endoscope (small camera) are inserted into the body to obtain a view of the spinal anatomy, which is viewed on a television monitor. Small surgical tools will be also inserted through the tubes and will be used to complete the procedure, all without exposing more of the spine than is needed.

After the Procedure

After your procedure, you will have a recovery period. Depending on whether you choose minimally invasive spine surgery or open spine surgery, your recovery period could range from a few weeks to several months. No matter the type of procedure and whether it is open or minimally invasive, you can expect to take it easy for a while after your procedure. You’ll be advised to not do any heavy lifting and to abstain from high-impact exercises and sports for a period of time. However, it is still important to stay mobile. That said, you should limit yourself to short walks and light stretching until you have fully recovered. Most important, you should adhere exactly to what you are told to do by your physician, physical therapist, or occupational therapist. Straying from the appropriate course of action can lead to a prolonged recovery period and further complications, and no one wants that to happen.

John Soland is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Soland is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to spine surgery.

John Soland is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Soland is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to spine surgery. http://laserspine.net/

Author Bio: John Soland is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Soland is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to spine surgery.

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Keywords: Surgery, Surgical Centers, Outpatient Surgery