5 Things you need to know about Spine Surgery

When do you need Spine Surgery?

Spine surgery is one of the treatment options for back pain and lower body weakness. However, most physicians would recommend traditional treatment including physical therapy, acupuncture or massage, anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, or other non-surgical pain management procedures. Hence, if these treatments are failed to provide improving conditions in weeks or months, surgery could be considered a better option.

Consequently, some condition directly benefits from spine surgery including

• Traumatic spine injury which needs immediate surgery
• Spinal stenosis or narrowing of the spinal canal 
• Bulging disc or disc protrusions which can cause pain if they press on an adjacent nerve root or the spinal cord
• Cervical or lumbar disc herniation, most often caused by degenerative disc disease, but can also be caused by twisting or turning while lifting, or by injury or a traumatic event such as a fall
• Degenerative disc disease (DDD) which is one of the most common causes of lower back pain
• Spondylolisthesis or a condition where the bone in the lower part of the spine slips out of its proper position onto the bone below it. 
• Myelopathy or a condition in the neck or mid-back in which the spinal cord is irritated or injured.
• Synovial cyst or a fluid-filled sac in the spine that has developed as a result of degenerative disc disease, and may compress nerves like a herniated disc.
• Facet arthropathy or a type of arthritis that affects the joints in the lower back caused by joints in the spinal area becoming compressed, or inflammation in the fluid-filled disc that helps to protect bones located in the spine.
• Loss of motor or bladder control such as cauda equina syndrome that affects the nerves in the lumbar area

Neurosurgerion or Orthopedic surgeon would review your medical history and require an imaging test such as an X-ray, CT, or MRI of your spine to determine that patients are suitable to be a candidate, as spine surgery is effective when the structural cause of your pain has been identified.

What is the difference between traditional and minimally-invasive surgery?

There are many types of spine surgery, thus, all of them is being done for two purposes – decompression surgery to relieve leg or arm pain being caused by pressure on or pinching of spinal nerves, and stabilization surgery to provide strength and stability to the spine by eliminating motion, and often improves back or neck pain.

Both of them can be done through conventional open surgery with an incision directly on the spine, or minimally-invasive surgery through special tools such as retractors, endoscopes, and microscopes to perform surgery with minor incisions. In comparison,  minimally-invasive surgery results in less damage to the muscles around the spine, which can help reduce pain after surgery and lead to a quicker recovery. However, some surgery still needs to be done with traditional surgery.

Is there any risk of Spine Surgery?

Spine surgery is coming with some complications including infections, implant migrations, fracture of alignment hardware, spinal cord injury, persistent pain, transitional syndrome, and pseudoarthrosis. Most of them occur with no more than 1 per cent of the recipients, with a chance of paralysis being rarer. Hence, surgery risks are controllable and your surgeon is available with some measures to reduce these risks. Spine-supportive devices such as bolts and brackets are also designed to last for a lifetime. 

As a result, spine surgery would benefit patients who suffer from back pain or spine injuries in which traditional procedures are not effective. Most patients experience significant relief from symptoms once they’ve recovered from the surgery, making a success rate of spine injury range between 60 to 80 per cent. Also, most complications can be completely treated with a second operation.

What to consider receiving Spine Surgery?

Spine surgery needs to be done with a professional spine surgeon trained to perform all types of spine surgery and meets nationally accepted standards for knowledge and practice. Hence, factors to consider choosing spine surgeons are their board certification, history of the past procedure, their process of screening and evaluation, and their rates of complication and infection after surgery.

What needs to be done to receive spine surgery?

To receive spine surgery, it is essential to know about your condition. Consult with your doctor about your conditions and options available for treatment. If surgery became a better option, ask your doctor about your surgery, how to prepare yourself, and what to expect on the day of surgery and during recovery.

Some patients need a pre-hab, a walking program and some exercises to strengthen their legs and core that can help alleviate pressure on their spine while they recover. Most patients may be asked to stop smoking, and stop using some medicine such as blood thinners or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). Another important preparation is somebody to handle your transport and daily activities such as lifting or using stairs during your recovery.

On the day of surgery, you will be asked to not eat or drink anything after midnight the day before. Your surgeon will provide you with a list of additional things to do on the day of surgery, such as showering with antibacterial soap, as well as items to bring with you to the hospital. The surgery is done under anaesthesia and can be long as many hours.

For recovery after surgery, your doctor will come up with plans depending on the type of surgery. Many patients may expect some pain and need pain-relief medications such as ibuprofen, and local anaesthetics. Work, driving, and activities such as climbing stairs, lifting, exercising, twisting and bending are prohibited until fully recovered. Frequent check-up after surgeries is also recommended.

Spine Surgery at Phyathai 1 International

As the first hospital in Thailand to provide minimally-invasive spine surgery, reducing the risk of surgery and reducing recovery time for the patients, Spine Center of Phyathai 1 International is capable of doing safe and precise spine surgery. Our specialist neurosurgeons, certified by the board in neurosurgery, are highly experienced with spine surgery using advanced procedures available in-house including laser surgery, endoscopic surgery, and spine navigation.

Spine Center of Phyathai 1 International have a vast experience in spine treatment, including common conditions such as spinal stenosis, disc protrusions, and disc herniation, and advanced cases including spine tumour, spine infections, and vascular formation. Brain and Spine Center of Phyathai 1 International is also capable of emergency spine surgery in case of blunt trauma or any spine injuries that need immediate surgery.

If you consider receiving spine surgery, we recommend consulting with our specialist at the Spine Center of Phyathai 1 International which opens daily from 7 am to 5 pm. To ensure the fastest procedure time, We recommend taking a reservation  by phone at number (+66)2-201-4600 ext.2625 or by E-mail at [email protected].