When you’re considering having spine surgery, complete and reliable information will go a long way in helping you:
- Make the decision about having surgery or not
- Help you select a spine surgeon
- Prepare for the surgery
- Optimize your recovery
- Have less pain after the surgery
Here are 5 important things to know:
An accurate and specific diagnosis is essential
Spine surgery is focused on correcting a specific anatomical lesion (injury) and is never “exploratory”. For patients who suffer from pain, but no specific anatomical cause of the pain can be found, spinal surgery is not advised, and non-surgical treatments are recommended. Modern diagnostic tests (such as an MRI scan) are used to pinpoint the anatomical reason for the pain. If the diagnosis is vague or uncertain, it is not advisable to proceed with surgery.
See Getting an Accurate Back Pain Diagnosis
Spine surgery is almost always your choice
Spine surgery is typically an elective undertaking and is considered as an option to enhance your ability to function and decrease your pain. This means that it is your choice whether to have the surgery or continue to pursue non-surgical treatment alternatives. Only in rare instances (such as a progressive neurological loss of function or sudden onset of bowel or bladder incontinence) is spinal surgery done on an emergency basis.
A spine surgeon should help you with your decision
The spine surgeon’s role is to educate you and assist with the surgical decision-making process - providing you with information about your full range of options, and describing what is technically possible, the difficulty and risk of the procedure and potential benefits. Try to select a surgeon who provides you with a full range of information. A good question to ask is what the expected progression of your condition is if you don’t have the surgery.
See 40 Questions to Ask Your Surgeon Before Back Surgery
Experience matters
A spine surgeon will typically devote all or most of their practice to spine surgery, and some further specialize in types of surgery and/or areas of the spine, such as cervical or lumbar conditions. Most have received specific fellowship training in spine surgery. It is also a good idea to make sure your surgeon is board certified or board eligible in orthopedic or neurosurgery, and it is worth researching to select an orthopedic spine surgeon or a neurosurgeon.
Psychological preparation is important too
Psychological preparation can help shift the patient’s role from that of a passive participant to a more active, empowered role that can positively impact your healing and recovery. Extensive research has shown that use of psychological techniques to prepare for back surgery can improve the patient’s overall experience and enhance the ultimate outcome - including less pain after surgery and a faster recovery process.
Postoperative pain management can help your recovery
Appropriate pain management after surgery can really help your recovery - both from a physical and emotional point of view. In addition to pain medications, your physician and nurses in the hospital can instruct you on some simple pain management aids. As an example, applying ice in the first 48 hours after surgery can be very helpful, and resting with your upper body propped up on a slight incline and with a pillow under your knees to lessen the stress on your lower spine.
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