Back Health: Common Surgeries For Treating Back Pain, Back Injuries
While many back injuries can be treated with rest, physical therapy and/or anti-inflammatory medication, some injuries are best treated with back surgery.
The prospect of back surgery can be frightening and confusing, to be sure. Surgery and other treatments may involve risks and complications and require extended recovery time. In this installment of the Deuterman Law Group’s Back Health blog, we hope to alleviate some of those concerns by explaining what happens in the various back surgery procedures.
If you’re wondering what you’ll experience during and after your surgery, be sure to educate yourself by talking with your doctor, ask lots of questions and consult other resources, such as the Web sites we refer to in this blog entry.
Remember, thousands of people undergo back surgery each year, and advancements in the field of back health now provide a range of treatment options including inpatient surgery and outpatient procedures.
We’ll explain a few here:
Laminectomy
Sometimes called “decompression, laminectomy surgery is performed through a small incision in your back.
The doctor removes any bone (lamina) and tissue that are causing the inflamed or compressed nerves. By removing the lamina, the spinal canal is opened giving the compressed nerves more space so that they are no longer pinched.
The surgery will most likely take place in a hospital, and you’ll be placed under general anesthesia, that is you’ll be put to sleep, for the operation.
Depending on the severity of the compression, your hospital stay may last from one to several days if a spinal fusion was performed in conjunction with the laminectomy to stabilize the vertebrae.
Complete recovery can take weeks and your doctor will restrict your activities at work and at home to allow the affected area to heal and to prevent a reinjury.
Discetomy
Discectomy is similar to a laminectomy in that it also requires a small incision in your back and is performed under general anesthesia.
However, a discectomy usually only involves the removal of disc material (fluid and disc fragments) and doesn’t involve the removal of bone.
During the operation, the doctor will remove disc material that has spread out or herniated beyond the disc wall and is pressing on nerves. After removing the part of the disc that is damaged and bulging, the incision is closed.
The recovery time after a discectomy is much shorter than the recovery time for a laminectomy, however your doctor may restrict your activities at work and at home until the healing is complete.
IDET
Intradiscal electrothermal therapy ior IDET is a recently developed, minimally invasive procedure used to treat people with back pain that originates from the discs.
During the procedure, which can last about an hour, a catheter will be inserted into the affected disc or discs to heat them up. The heating process may help strengthen and stabilize the disc wall to keep the disc from bulging or rupturing. After heating the disc up, the physician will inject antibiotics and pain-relief medicine into the disc.
Although IDET is an outpatient procedure and typically doesn’t require a hospital stay, healing may take several weeks. After the procedure, the doctor may recommend a back brace and may restrict your activities.
Remember, the information in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal or medical advice. Always consult a physician to determine the best course of treatment for your back injury.
Coming next: We’ll be discussing other types of back surgeries, including spinal fusion, artifical disc replacement and radio frequency ablation