You may wish to consider several questions before contacting your surgeon for spinal surgery in Washington, PA. For instance, is the surgical treatment necessary to resolve the issue or will another noninvasive process be appropriate? Though spinal injections and physical therapy can help resolve your symptoms, nerve root compressions that result in significant weakness on your legs and hands will only settle with an invasive process. A surgical procedure can be traumatic. However, your healthcare provider will ensure maximum benefit while minimizing trauma throughout the entire process. Opting for spine surgery is personal, except when you have a particular emergency or the spinal concern is life-threatening. Your surgeon will highlight the different options with their pros and cons and then decide if you still need the treatment.
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What qualifies you for spinal surgery?
When you go to your doctor with severe symptoms, the medical professional might first suggest an evaluation. If you have pain in different areas along your spine, your healthcare provider will assess your pain, advising you to engage in regular physical activities that might help with the symptoms. However, if the pain persists even after medication, pain management routines and physical exercises, your surgeon will suggest a further evaluation before recommending surgery.
How different is a minimally invasive procedure from traditional spinal surgery?
Unlike the traditional spine surgery that entails a complete exposure of your anatomy, a minimally invasive procedure exposes less of your anatomy, meaning that you will have minimal downtime. Additionally, in a less invasive treatment, your surgeon will use additional surgical equipment to give him extra visibility on your treatment areas with minimal exposure. Unfortunately, not every spinal issue qualifies for a minimally invasive process. Therefore, you must work with your surgeon to choose the best treatment option that will significantly minimize your symptoms. Whichever the treatment, your surgeon’s long-term goal is to minimize your debilitating symptoms and halt degeneration, if any.
How many spinal surgeries will your surgeon recommend?
Different spinal surgeries can help resolve your pain. However, the type of procedure your surgeon will recommend depends on your unique condition and the exact pathology causing you pain, limiting your mobility. The medical professional may also take time to help you understand the treatment and why a specific procedure best suits you. The surgeries you are likely to have include:
· Microdiscectomy
· Spinal fusion
· Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF)
· Minimally Invasive Transformational Lumbar Interbody Fusion (MIS TLIF)
· Percutaneous instrumentation
Though LLIF is effective, your surgeon may need to incorporate it with another process to attain optimal results. The fusion treatment prompts your surgeon to make tiny incisions on your side, under your ribs, to access your spine from a lateral angle. The procedure also allows your surgeon to perform the fusion with minimal disruption of your spine’s muscles. On the other hand, the medical professional may recommend traditional fusions to address spine instability, disc degeneration, or scoliosis.
Most spine issues do not need surgical interventions. However, a surgical procedure might be your only option if you have significant neurogenic pain that fails to resolve with non-surgical options. Contact your surgeon for a further evaluation if your symptoms are on the extremes despite pain management interventions.