• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Front Range Spine
and Neurosurgery
  • Bill PayRequest Appointment
    (303) 790-1800
Denver Hip & Knee Clinic
  • Home
  • Meet the Team
    • Meet the Surgeons
  • Conditions & Surgeries
    • Colorado Artificial Disc Institute
    • Cranial Conditions & Tumors
    • Minimally Invasive Surgery
    • Spine & Nerve-Related Conditions
    • Hip & Knee Conditions
  • Treatments
    • Hip & Knee Treatments
    • View All Treatments
  • Patient Resources
    • New Patient Forms
    • Opiod Consent Form
    • Post-Op Care
    • Preparing for Surgery
  • Contact & Locations
    • Lone Tree
    • Parker
    • Colorado Springs
    • Castle Rock – Trail Boss Drive
    • Castle Rock – Limelight Ave

Spine Surgery: How Serious Is It?

January 22, 2021

Spine surgery can help to greatly reduce or eliminate your back pain. It can also be performed to address referred pain in another part of your body that is being caused in the spinal cord.

While most people automatically assume that spine surgery is a major procedure, you may be surprised to know that it might not be as serious as you thought. Let’s talk about what you can expect from back surgery, and where you can go for a medical evaluation and recommendations to finally achieve pain relief.

Type of Back Surgery

The main factor in determining the potential severity of spine surgery is what exactly is being performed on your spine. For instance, a spinal fusion is more serious than repairing or replacing a damaged disc.

In a spinal fusion, your surgeon will remove the disc that is in between the two adjacent vertebrae that are causing pain. The surgeon then inserts bio-grade material into the space where the disc was, and the doctor then fastens metal screws, plates, and/or rods to connect the vertebrae to enable them to heal and fuse together naturally. This is often done today via minimally invasive back surgery.

In a disc replacement, the surgeon removes your herniated or ruptured disc and replaces it with a prosthetic disc. This is usually a minimally invasive spine surgery, so it can be done in an outpatient setting.

Another type of back surgery is vertebroplasty, in which your surgeon injects a medical-grade cement into a fractured vertebra to fill in and seal the break. This is also usually an outpatient procedure.

Possible Complications from Spine Surgery

As with any type of surgery, you will have a risk of developing an infection. Your spine surgeon will take every precaution necessary to reduce your risk.

In spine surgery, in particular, there is the possibility of suffering nerve damage. The spinal cord hosts the main nerve center in your body, and there are many nerves in the area which can become damaged during the procedure.

Nerve issues may cause symptoms of numbness, weakness, or tingling. If the procedure was on your lower back, these symptoms could extend downward into your legs; if your spine surgery was on your upper back, these same symptoms could radiate into your arms.

Another potential complication of surgery is excessive bleeding. If you are taking blood thinners to help reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or blood clot, then your surgeon will likely ask you to discontinue them for a brief amount of time before the surgery in order to avoid too much bleeding during your spine surgery.

Orthopedic Spine Surgeons in Lone Tree, Colorado

If you are suffering from chronic back pain, or if you have ongoing numbness that is becoming bothersome and debilitating, it is in your best interest to have an evaluation by an experienced spine surgeon. The doctor will first give you a medical assessment and then discuss your options with you, so you can make an informed decision for your optimum health and quality of life.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation with one of our outstanding back surgeons here at Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery, contact our friendly staff today by calling us at (303) 790-1800 or by filling out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you enjoy a more pain-free lifestyle once again!

Filed Under: Spinal Surgery Tagged With: artificial disc replacement, Artificial Discs, back pain, Back Surgery, Chronic Pain, Front Range Spine & Neurosurgery, minimally invasive spinal surgery, neurosurgeon near me, spinal disorders, spinal fusion

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Acupuncture
  • Arachnoid Cysts
  • Artificial Disc Replacement
  • Back Pain
  • Back Surgery
  • Brain Surgery
  • Brain Tumor
  • Chronic Pain
  • Concussion
  • Disc Replacement Surgery
  • General
  • Lower Back Pain
  • Lumbar Spine
  • Minimally Invasive Surgery
  • Neck Pain
  • Nerve Pain
  • Neurological Conditions
  • Neurosurgeon
  • Neurosurgery
  • Spinal Cord
  • Spinal Fusion
  • Spinal Surgery
  • Spine Surgeon
  • Stereotactic Radiosurgery
  • Stroke
  • Tumor
  • Upper Back Pain
  • Workers Compensation
January 2021
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Dec   Feb »

Tags

artificial disc replacement artificial disc replacement Colorado Springs CO artificial disc replacement Denver CO artificial disc replacement Lone Tree CO artificial disc replacement near me Artificial Discs artificial spinal disc replacement back pain back pain treatment near me Back Surgery Best Spine Surgeon near me Brain Surgeon in Colorado brain surgery Brain Tumor brain tumor symptoms Chronic Pain Concussion Front Range Spine & Neurosurgery Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery Lower Back Pain minimally invasive spinal surgery minimally invasive spinal surgery Colorado Springs CO minimally invasive spinal surgery near me Neurological Disorders neurologist neurosurgeon neurosurgeon colorado neurosurgeon Colorado Springs neurosurgeon Colorado Springs CO Neurosurgeon Denver CO Neurosurgeon experts Near Me neurosurgeon Lone Tree CO neurosurgeon near me neurosurgery neurosurgery Aurora CO spinal discs spinal disorders spinal fusion Spinal Surgery spine surgeon Lone Tree CO spine surgeon near me spine surgery spine surgery Aurora CO Spine Surgery near me traumatic head injury

Footer

Read Our Blog

Get the most up-to-date information about our practice and the latest advances in neurosurgery with our exclusive blog.

Learn More

Patient Education

Broaden your knowledge of the conditions we treat with our comprehensive patient education library.

Learn More

  • Home
  • Meet the Surgeons
  • Conditions & Surgeries
  • Treatments
  • Patient Resources
  • Contact & Locations
  • HIPAA Privacy Policy
  • ADA Disclaimer
  • Sitemap

Phone: (303) 790-1800
Fax: (303) 790-1809

Copyright © 2023 Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery. All Rights Reserved

iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

The neurosurgeons at Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery specialize in Colorado Artificial Disc Institute, Cranial Conditions & Tumors, Minimally Invasive Surgery, and Spine & Nerve-Related Conditions.