Back Surgery
Is surgery for neck or back pain necessary? Sometimes. It is reasonable to consider spine surgery if the pain has not diminished after months of non-surgical treatment, if pain does not respond to medication, or if you're unable to complete basic daily activities. Some surgery options are minimally invasive (microdiscectomy for a herniated disc) and allow for quick recovery, while other types of surgery (a posterolateral fusion for degenerative disc disease) are more extensive.
The primary purpose of back surgery is to correct an anatomical lesion in individuals who fail to show improvement with conservative (nonsurgical) treatment.
Cervical Spinal Instrumentation
Cervical Spine Surgery
Lumbar laminectomy may have favorable outcomes when performed in appropriate patients. Sometimes, a fusion surgery may be done at the same time to maintain stability in the treated segment.
Cervical spinal fusion surgery has its risks and controversies, especially what type of bone to use and how many fusion levels to perform.
Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatment options of failed back surgery syndrome, and discover effective strategies to prevent post-surgical pain.