7 Myths About Spine Surgery

Nobody wants to have surgery. But when the surgery involves the spine, there is an extra level of anxiety and apprehension – often based on outdated beliefs and misconceptions.

In the past decade there have been major advancements that have improved the speed and accuracy of a wide range of surgical treatments, including those targeting the spine. These advances have also significantly shortened recovery times for many surgeries.

Let’s look at some of the common concerns voiced by prospective surgery patients – and why they may be wrong.

Spine surgery is dangerous. There are risks associated with every surgery. And considering the importance of the spine, those risks should never be minimized. That’s why your doctor will first try more conservative options, including physical therapy and steroid injections, before suggesting surgery as a treatment. Modern approaches – including robotics and advanced imaging techniques – have done much to improve the outcomes of spinal procedures.

Spinal surgeries are invasive and complicated. Among the most significant of surgical advances has been the increased use of minimally invasive techniques. There are some spinal procedures – those that require the implanting of hardware, for example – that still require large surgical incisions. But many procedures can now be done with a few small incisions that allow the surgeon to operate using thin, flexible instruments equipped with tiny cameras. This often means less blood loss, shorter hospital stays and quicker recoveries.

Recovery takes a very long time. This is certainly true for some procedures. A multi-level spinal fusion, for example, may take months for your recovery. But for some procedures – a micro discectomy, cervical fusion, spinal decompression, for example – you may be back home and sleeping in your own bed the same day as your surgery. And you could be back to your normal activities in four to six weeks.

You won’t be able to resume an active life after surgery. This one depends largely upon what your level of activity was before the surgery – and what sort of surgery you had. For example, consider someone whose job requires a lot of heavy lifting and is having lumbar fusion surgery, where two or more of the lumbar vertebrae are fused to create stability and relieve pain. A new job or career may be needed after the procedure. On the other hand, former NFL star quarterback Peyton Manning won a Superbowl after having cervical fusion surgery. The odds are good that you will be able to return to your normal life activities if you follow your recovery timetable.

Once you have one spine surgery, you can expect more in the future. In most cases, there should be no reason to have a follow-up spinal surgery. This idea of repeated surgeries may come from decades past and may be reinforced by the negative experiences of a smaller number of patients. Unfortunately, there are times when a second surgery may be suggested. With spinal fusion, for example, the fused vertebrae may put more stress on the vertebrae higher on the spine, leading to a condition called adjacent segment disease. And some surgeries are used to address arthritis, which can continue to progress on its own regardless of whether you had surgery or not, creating more issues later.

You will have to live with pain. Most people who have spinal surgery are generally happy with the results. There are many surgeries and many reasons for surgery, but most people do get better following their procedure. Still, this doesn’t guarantee that your pain level will drop to zero. Spinal surgery is only suggested for patients whose pain or mobility limitations are having a substantial effect on their quality of life. So, even getting that pain back to a much more manageable level can make an enormous difference in your ability to enjoy life.

You will lose your range of motion after spinal fusion. This is a natural worry, considering that the procedure permanently joins together at least two of your vertebrae. It is true that you will sacrifice some flexibility in exchange for a decrease in pain and improvement in your quality of life. But that lost range of motion is likely to be far less noticeable than you expect. That’s because much of your range of motion is created by various joints in your body, and not just your spinal vertebrae.

This content is not AI generated.