Learn about back surgery

How to learn more

You may want to know more about spine surgery. Your doctor may have already discussed this option with you.

Before deciding about surgery, it is important to:

Understand why you are having the surgery
Know about the different types of surgery
Understand life after surgery and how to get ready for it
Understand the risk of surgery

To learn more on your own, you can:

Select the "Surgery" menu option above for more information on this subject
Take the Back Surgery Decision Aid

If you have questions, please select the "Who To Contact" menu option above.

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Review Date: 4/3/2018

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 Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

View References:

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