Back Surgery (Spinal Surgery)

What is Back Surgery?

Back Surgery is usually done in order to relieve back pain caused by wear and tear, or for severe arm or leg pain caused by a build-up of pressure on the nerves in your spine. This option is used when other methods of treatments such as physiotherapy has failed to relieve the pain.

Types of Back Surgery

There are many different types of back surgery depending upon your condition;

Discectomy may be used if a disc has begun to bulge, a bone spur has developed (benign bone growth on a bone) or for a herniated or slipped disc.

Spinal Disc replacement is only suitable for a small number of people with a slipped or worn disc. Laminectomy may be used if you have spinal stenosis (a condition in which the spaces in your spine narrow).

Foraminotomy is usually used if you have a bulging disc, a bone spur or a thickened vertebral disc.

Vertebroplasty is only suitable for some types of compression fracture to your backbone, caused by conditions such as osteoporosis or as the result of trauma.

Spinal fusion is carried out mostly for people with conditions such as spondylolisthesis (when one of your back bones slips forward and out of position) or severe degenerative disc disease (when the discs in your spinal cord gradually become worn down).

The type of surgery you will receive is dependent on the severity of your condition and the procedure that needs to be given.

Possible Side Effects and Aftercare

After surgery it is required that you rest. If you need pain relief, you can take non-prescription painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine and if you have any questions, ask your pharmacist for advice.

You may also need physiotherapy treatment, but this is all dependent on your individual recovery time and treatment.