Surgeries are an alternative to correct pathologies of the spine that cause pain or associated numbness that sometimes radiates to the arms, legs and other areas of the back.
They are procedures that allow us to decompress nerves, mobilize elements and fix or replace vertebral structures, when they are affected by disc problems (such as a hernia) or osteoarthritis that generates excess bone in the spine.
There are several types of spinal surgery, such as:
Discectomy, to remove the herniated part of the disc, in order to access the inflamed nerve and relieve its irritation.
- Laminectomy, to remove a part of the bone that covers the vertebrae that is enlarged, to relieve pressure from a stenosis.
- Fusion, to join two or more bones, in order to eliminate the pain that begins with the movement of the vertebrae.
- The disc implant, as an alternative to fusion.
- Arthrodesis, to reduce pain caused by lack of movement in sectors of the spine, at different levels, such as L5-S1 (which limits the mobility of the spine) or L4-L5, (which prevents movement normal movement of the spine).
What are the risks?
The risks of spinal surgery are diverse. Among them are those that come from the surgical operation itself, because the spine is surrounded by nerves and tissues.
- There is a risk that the patient may suffer permanent nerve damage and even paralysis, although the incidence occurs in less than 5% of cases.
- The traditional open wound method also opens up the possibility of infection and inflammation that can slow the recovery process.
- In addition, failures can occur during surgery, due to which the initial symptoms of the condition remain, such as pain, numbness and loss of mobility, among others.
Such risks, however, are avoided or minimized by minimally invasive treatment, which in modern clinics we perform through tiny incisions, with the help of tubes, cameras and tiny surgical instruments, which hardly cause damage to the tissue to be treated and in the tissues that surround it.
It should be borne in mind that the postoperative recovery period, regardless of the method used, the patient must remain at rest for a few weeks and follow a regimen of analgesics and physical therapy.Contact me, to give you more information and to schedule an appointment. Through years of experience and thanks to my specialization, I have helped patients with different ailments and diseases of the neurological system.
