Your spine plays an integral role. It supports your body, connects different muscles and parts of your skeleton, and houses the spinal cord. An injury to your spine can cause back pain, bowel and bladder issues, and weaken your back and legs.
If you are suffering from spinal conditions, spine surgery is an effective treatment. While it can offer pain relief and restore mobility, doctors still often recommend it last. You will need to go over the pros and cons of this treatment before undergoing any procedure.
Let’s learn more about spine surgery and where you can go for outstanding spine surgery in Plantation, FL.
It Can Help Relieve Pain
The thought of getting surgery may be intimidating. However, doctors may recommend this treatment to relieve a symptom we often experience: pain.
Almost all spinal conditions are painful. Some can become severe enough to require surgery to treat successfully. Usually, this happens when nonsurgical treatments fail to relieve the symptoms.
One Surgery Can Address More Than One Spinal Condition
Several surgeries are available for spinal conditions, and one may help treat multiple problems.
For example, bulging disks occur when the disk, which are cushions between the bones of your spine, bulge out. This cartilage can also wear out, causing pain and stiffness. It can also push on a nerve, causing pain, numbness, or a tingling sensation.
There’s also spinal stenosis, which happens when the spaces inside your spine narrow. It presses on your spinal cord, causing pain and numbness and weakening your arms and legs.
Surgeons can treat these conditions using a surgical procedure known as a laminectomy. This operation aims to take pressure off the neural parts of your spine.
Surgery Can Be Open or Minimally Invasive
The word surgery can make you think of a surgeon making a big incision into a patient’s body. For the most part, this is what traditionally happens, and it is known as open surgery.
This method gives the surgeon access to the inside of the patient, allowing them to correct problems from there. During open spine surgery, they move muscles and soft tissues to the side before working on the spine.
However, times have changed, and so have the science and methods of surgery. Nowadays, providers can perform surgical procedures with tinier cuts to the body. This technique is known as minimally invasive surgery.
Your surgeon will insert a tube into the cut to insert instruments. It allows them to work on your spine without needing a larger opening.
Recovery Can Take Months
While surgery can relieve pain and allow you to stop relying on medication, recovery from it can take months.
While this depends on the type of surgery done, you may be unable to do certain activities during this period. That will allow your body to heal and prevent you from hurting yourself.
Recovering from spine surgery will mean keeping your back straight, meaning you have to avoid bending at the waist. You must also refrain from walking and climbing the stairs.
Your provider may give you a special brace to support your back. In addition, avoid lifting heavy objects, driving, swimming, and even running.
The Risks Make It the Last Resort
There are still plenty of risks involved in surgery despite medicine and technological advancements making it safer. That is primarily why spine surgery is often the last thing your doctor will recommend to treat your condition.
Surgery involves making cuts into your body, meaning it will bleed. Open wounds are prone to infections too. That is why a surgical team goes to great lengths to ensure these don’t happen.
Another risk of surgery is a patient reacting negatively to anesthesia. That may include allergic reactions as well as breathing problems.
Due to the operative body part’s nature, there is also the risk of the patient suffering from a spinal fluid leak. A layer of cerebrospinal fluid protects your spinal cord. Leaks of this substance can cause symptoms such as:
- Blurred vision
- Loss of sense of smell
- Seizures
Trusted Spine Doctor in Plantation, FL
At Baylis and Brown Orthopedics, we work with our patients to give them a life free from spinal problems. Our doctors, Dr. Baylis and Dr. Brown specialize in diagnosing and treating orthopedic conditions and injuries. They aim to provide patients with comprehensive care to help them return to their daily life with no problems.
If you want to learn more about our services, call us today at (954) 476-8800. You may also use our convenient online form to schedule an appointment with an orthopedic doctor near you.
We look forward to serving you!
