Surgery For Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most widespread medical complaints heard by healthcare professionals. Fortunately, most types of back pain can be successfully addressed without resorting to surgery. However, when all else fails, there are a number of types of back surgery that may be recommended by your family doctor, orthopedist, or neurosurgeon.

Surgical options include the implantation of artificial disks, discectomy, laminectomy, spinal fusion, vertebroplasty, and foramenotomy. Each of these types of surgery is generally indicated for a specific set of circumstances and may or may not produce the type of relief you seek.

Disk Replacement and Discectomy

When diagnostic imaging has determined that back pain is being caused by a herniated or degenerated disk in the lumbar region of the spine, doctors may recommend that the compromised disk(s) be replaced with artificial disks. Artificial disks will prevent the pain caused by impingement on the nerves that travel from the spinal column to areas of the back and legs. This is a relatively new procedure and is not fully proven, however, many patients have found relief after such surgery.

Another option that may be recommended in cases where a intevertebral disk is herniated or otherwise deteriorated is a discectomy, which involves the surgical removal of part of the disk in question to alleviate pressure on nerves in the area of the back.

Laminectomy and Spinal Fusion

To relieve pressure on nerves that travel from the spine to portions of the back, buttocks, and legs, doctors may perform a laminectomy, which involves the removal of portions of the bone of the vertebral structure itself. This surgical procedure may be done by itself or done in combination with spinal fusion.

Spinal fusion involves surgical stabilization of the spine at one or more levels to prevent movement of the vertebrae. Such movement can cause pain as it puts pressure on one or more nerves in that section of the back.

Vertebroplasty and Foramenotomy

Fractures of the back almost always require some form of surgical intervention, and one of the more common surgical procedures of this type is the vertebroplasty, in which the surgeon injects bone cement into vertebrae that are either broken or compressed, causing unwelcome pressure on a nerve or nerves as they exit the spinal column.

A foramenotomy is also used to address back pain caused by impingement on a nerve. It may be recommended when the nerve compression is caused by something other than a herniated disk. A foramenotomy involves the removal of bone and tissue to ease pressure on a nerve.

Recovery Time

The time required for recovery from these various forms of back surgery varies considerably, depending on the amount of tissue and muscle that has been cut in the surgical process. In almost all cases, however, the patient will be unable to resume normal activities for at least a week or two. In the case of surgeries that are less invasive in scope, including laminectomies and discectomies, patients will generally be able to get back to normal activity within a couple of weeks but should refrain from any heavy lifting for at least a month. More invasive surgical procedures, including most notably spinal fusion, may require much more lengthy recovery periods, up to six months or more before a full range of activities can be resumed. Driving a motor vehicle puts a surprisingly heavy strain on the back and should be avoided completely or minimized until recovery is complete.

By Renee Cullen

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