Set D of 55 answers
Surgery in outline
Five questions about spine surgery described in outline only. Nothing here recommends an operation, and each answer says what to ask your own clinician.
Most people with back or neck pain never need an operation. These pages describe surgery in outline, as public health bodies and hospitals describe it, so the words on a consent form make sense. They cannot say whether you should have surgery.
Start with when spine surgery is considered. Three pages then explain common operations: discectomy, spinal fusion and decompression surgery. The last, the risks of spine surgery, ends with questions to take to an appointment.
For what follows an operation, see how long recovery takes in the recovery and daily life set.
The 5 questions in this set
- D1When is spine surgery considered?Public health bodies say spine surgery is usually considered only after other treatments have not helped enough, or when nerve symptoms such as worsening weakness appear. Most people with disc-related pain improve without an operation, so the decision is made case by case with a clinician.
- D2What is a discectomy?A discectomy is surgery to remove all or part of a spinal disc that is pressing on a nerve, most often a herniated disc. A microdiscectomy uses a smaller incision and a microscope, and minimally invasive versions work through narrow tubes.
- D3What is spinal fusion?Spinal fusion is surgery that permanently joins two or more bones of the spine so they no longer move against each other. Public health sources say it works well for some problems, such as instability or curvature, and that results are mixed for back pain with an unclear cause.
- D4What is spinal decompression surgery?Spinal decompression surgery removes bone or tissue that is crowding the spinal cord or nerves, with the aim of relieving pressure. Laminectomy, laminotomy and foraminotomy are the best known types, and they differ in which part of the bone is opened.
- D5What are the risks of spine surgery, and what should I ask?Spine surgery carries the risks of any operation, such as infection, bleeding and blood clots, plus some specific to the spine, including nerve injury and a leak of spinal fluid. The chance of each depends on the person and the procedure, so a surgeon is the right source for individual figures.
The other sets
- A. Back pain basicsCauses, how long it lasts, whether you need a scan, and when it is an emergency.
- B. Neck and headachesNeck pain, whiplash, and the headaches that can start in or near the neck.
- C. Discs and nervesSlipped discs, sciatica, narrowing of the spinal canal, and what scans show.
- E. Recovery and daily lifeRecovery after surgery, exercise, physiotherapy, sleep and long-lasting pain.