Questions to ask your surgeon about spinal surgery
What to ask your surgeon about spinal surgery - before; Before spinal surgery - surgeon questions; Before spinal surgery - what to ask your surgeon; Questions to ask your surgeon about back surgeryYou are going to have surgery on your spine. The main types of spinal surgery include diskectomy, laminectomy, foraminotomy, and spinal fusion.
Diskectomy
Diskectomy is surgery to remove all or part of the cushion that helps support part of your spinal column. These cushions are called disks, and they ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleLaminectomy
Laminectomy is surgery to remove the lamina. This is part of the bone that makes up a vertebra in the spine. Laminectomy may also be done to remove...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleForaminotomy
Foraminotomy is surgery that widens the opening in your spine where nerve roots leave your spinal canal. You may have a narrowing of the nerve openi...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleSpinal fusion
Spinal fusion is surgery to permanently join together two or more bones in the spine so there is no movement between them. These bones are called ve...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleBelow are questions you may want to ask your surgeon to help you prepare for spinal surgery.
Questions
How do I know if spine surgery will help me?
- What is the cause of my symptoms?
- Why is this type of surgery recommended?
- Are there different methods for doing this surgery?
- How will this surgery help my spinal condition?
- Is there any harm in waiting?
- Am I too young or too old for spinal surgery?
- What else can be done to relieve my symptoms besides surgery?
- Will my condition become worse if I do not have the surgery?
- What are the risks of the operation?
How much will spine surgery cost?
- How do I find out if my insurance will pay for spine surgery?
- Does insurance cover all of the costs or just some of them?
- Does it make a difference which hospital I go to? Do I have a choice of where to have surgery?
Is there anything that I can do before the surgery so it will be more successful for me?
- Are there exercises I should do to make my muscles stronger?
- Do I need to lose weight before surgery?
- Where can I get help quitting cigarettes or not drinking alcohol, if I need to?
Quitting cigarettes
There are many ways to quit smoking. There are also resources to help you. Family members, friends, and co-workers may be supportive. But to be su...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleNot drinking alcohol
This article describes how to determine if you have a problem with alcohol use and offers advice on how to decide to quit drinking.
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How can I get my home ready before I go to the hospital?
- How much help will I need when I come home? Will I be able to get out of bed?
- How can I make my home safer for me?
Home safer
Getting your home ready after you have been in the hospital often requires much preparation. Set up your home to make your life easier and safer when...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - How can I make my home so it is easier to get around and do things?
- How can I make it easier for myself in the bathroom and shower?
- What type of supplies will I need when I get home?
What are the risks or complications of the spine surgery?
- What are the risks and complications of the surgery?
- What can I do before surgery to make the risks lower?
- Do I need to stop taking any medicines before my surgery?
- Will I need a blood transfusion during or after the surgery? Are there ways of saving my own blood before the surgery so it can be used during the surgery?
Saving my own blood
Your surgeon will be very careful during surgery to limit the amount of blood you lose. But blood may continue to ooze from tissues that were cut, e...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - What is the risk of infection from surgery?
What should I do the night before my surgery?
- When do I need to stop eating or drinking?
- Do I need to use a special soap when I bathe or shower?
- What medicines should I take the day of surgery?
- What should I bring with me to the hospital?
What will the surgery be like?
- What steps will be involved in this surgery?
- How long will the surgery last?
- What type of anesthesia will be used? Are there choices to consider?
- Will I have a tube connected to my bladder? If yes, how long does it normally stay in?
What will my stay in the hospital be like?
- Will I be in a lot of pain after surgery? What will be done to relieve the pain?
- How soon will I be getting up and moving around?
- How long will I stay in the hospital?
- Will I be able to go home after being in the hospital, or will I need to go to a rehabilitation facility to recover more?
How long will it take to recover from spine surgery?
- How should I manage the side effects such as swelling, soreness, and pain after the surgery?
- How will I care for the wound and sutures at home?
- Are there any restrictions post-surgery?
- Do I need to wear any kind of brace after spine surgery?
- How long will it take for my back to heal after the surgery?
- How will spine surgery affect my work and routine activities?
- How long will I need to be off work after the surgery?
- When will I be able to resume my routine activities on my own?
- When can I resume my medicines? How long should I not take anti-inflammatory medications?
How will I gain my strength back after the spine surgery?
- Do I need to proceed with a rehabilitation program or physical therapy after the surgery? How long will the program last?
- What type of exercises will be included in this program?
- Will I be able to perform any exercises on my own after the surgery?
References
Li Y, Ling MZ, Wang MY. Perioperative management protocols: Enhanced recovery after surgery. In: Steinmetz MP, Berven SH, Benzel EC, eds. Benzel's Spine Surgery. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 79.
Stefanelli AJ, Sabourin V, Hines K, Singh H, Harrop JS. Fundamentals of spine surgery. In: Steinmetz MP, Berven SH, Benzel EC, eds. Benzel's Spine Surgery. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 78.
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Herniated nucleus pulposus - illustration
Herniated nucleus pulposus is a condition in which part or all of the soft, gelatinous central portion of an intervertebral disk is forced through a weakened part of the disk, resulting in back pain and nerve root irritation.
Herniated nucleus pulposus
illustration
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Lumbar spinal surgery - Series
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Spinal surgery - cervical - series
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Microdiskectomy - series
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Spinal stenosis - illustration
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the lumbar or cervical spinal canal. The narrowing can cause compression on nerve roots resulting in pain or weakness of the legs. Medications or steroid injections are often administered to reduce inflammation. If the pain is persistent and does not respond to these conservative measures, surgery is considered to relieve the pressure on the nerves.
Spinal stenosis
illustration
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Spinal fusion - series - Normal anatomy
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Herniated nucleus pulposus - illustration
Herniated nucleus pulposus is a condition in which part or all of the soft, gelatinous central portion of an intervertebral disk is forced through a weakened part of the disk, resulting in back pain and nerve root irritation.
Herniated nucleus pulposus
illustration
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Lumbar spinal surgery - Series
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Spinal surgery - cervical - series
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Microdiskectomy - series
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Spinal stenosis - illustration
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the lumbar or cervical spinal canal. The narrowing can cause compression on nerve roots resulting in pain or weakness of the legs. Medications or steroid injections are often administered to reduce inflammation. If the pain is persistent and does not respond to these conservative measures, surgery is considered to relieve the pressure on the nerves.
Spinal stenosis
illustration
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Spinal fusion - series - Normal anatomy
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Review Date: 10/15/2023
Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.