Spinal Cord Surgery: Why You Should Have It and the Process

When it comes to spinal cord surgery, spinal decompression is the most common surgery that people have to have. People who need spinal decompression surgery typically suffer from the narrowing of the spinal canal which can lead to chronic pain, numbness and even muscle weakness in the arms and legs. Very often, this stenosis is caused by age-related osteoarthritis, thickening of ligaments or the enlarging of joints. Typically, there is going to be an attempt to solve these problems through physical therapy or medication. However, if a patient has not responded, and continues to suffer from chronic pain and numbness, they may require a spinal cord surgery. This is a major surgery and, as such, it is going to require a hospital stay that can be from 1 to 3 days and a recovery period that can take up to 6 weeks.

Who may need spinal decompression surgery?

Any patient that suffers from spinal stenosis could be a candidate for spinal decompression surgery. Because spinal surgery is a serious and invasive, doctors are going to look at a patient very carefully in order to determine if they are a candidate for decompression. Some of the things that are going to be examined, and some of the conditions that may lead to a person being a recommended for spinal decompression include the following:

• Diagnostic tests have been conducted, including MRIs and CT scans, that show spinal stenosis in the lateral recess, or the central canal.
• The patient has leg pain that is worse than the back pain.
• Patient suffers from significant pain, weakness and numbness in the leg or foot.
• Physical therapy and medication have not made significant improvements.
• The patient has difficulty walking or standing which affect their quality of life.

Deciding to have spinal cord surgery

Once a patient has gone through all of the steps, including physical therapy and medication, but seen no improvement, then a serious discussion needs to be had with the surgeon about the potential use of decompression surgery to improve the spinal stenosis. It is important to note that spinal decompression surgery is elective, except in very rare instances where there are rapidly progressing neurologic deficits. As such, it is always recommended that the patient sit down with the doctor to discuss all recommended treatment options, including spinal surgery, and examine all of the risks and benefits before making a final decision. The best way to do this is to schedule an appointment and go over the case and history with the doctor in our offices.

Success is a joint endeavor

Spinal cord surgery, particularly a Decompressive Laminectomy is very successful in relieving leg pain in a large percentage of patients and allows significant improvement in function. It has also been shown to produce markedly reduced levels of pain and discomfort. However, the results of the surgery are also largely dependent on the patient. It becomes critically important to maintain a positive attitude and diligently be involved in physical therapy exercises. Once a surgery has been completed it is also important that the patient maintain a weight appropriate to their height to reduce significant re-occurrence of symptoms.

Learn more about this procedure by calling our office.