• 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

5 Things to Know Before Getting Spine Surgery

January 27, 2023

Spine Surgeon operating on a patient in an operating room

If you have excruciating back or neck pain impairing your quality of life and day-to-day activities, you may consider spine surgery to relieve your pain.

Spine surgery is an umbrella term for several surgical procedures that are performed to correct spine conditions and injuries,such as herniated disc, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disk disease, and vertebral fractures, to name a few.

If you’ve received a diagnosis of any of these problems or some other spine problem and are considering spinal surgery, here are 5 things you should know before your surgery.

#1 Spine Surgery Is the Treatment of Last Resort

Most pain in the back can be successfully treated with conservative treatment options. This is why the spine doctors try to cure spine problems with nonsurgical treatments first.

Spine surgery is an option that is usually explored when various medications, different forms of physical therapy, cortisone injections, and other conservative treatments fail to provide sufficient relief from back pain even after months of therapy.

#2 Spine Surgery Can be Open or Minimally Invasive

When we hear the word “surgery”, all that comes to our mind is a large open incision. However, this isn’t always the case. Surgeries, especially spine surgery, can be minimally invasive – meaning instead of making a large incision to open the tissues and access the spinal column, your spine surgeon will make a small incision to do the task.

Compared to open surgery, minimally invasive surgery results in less blood loss, less pain, and a lower infection rate.

You can ask your spine surgeon if you’re a candidate for minimally invasive spine surgery.

#3 You Can Expect Post-Op Pain

Spine surgery is indeed highly successful at eliminating back pain;however, you can expect to have post-op pain. The good news is that this pain can be successfully managed.

Immediately after your surgery and during the recovery period, your spine surgeon and pain management doctor will use various modalities, such as medications(nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, opioids,and local anesthetics) and physical therapy to manage your pain.

Typically, the pain should subside within a few days; if it does not, inform your spine surgeon immediately.

#4 Pre-Op Preparations Are Crucial Part of the Process

Preparing your body and home before your spine surgery is crucial to an easy and smooth recovery from the spine surgery. So, before the surgery, you must have ideal body weight, stop smoking and drinking, and stop taking medications that can affect the result of the surgery.

You should also make necessary adjustments in your home in advance to make things more convenient for you while you recover.

#5 You Can Get a Second Opinion

You have the right to a second opinion. So, if your surgeon has recommended surgery, ask if you can get a second opinion to weigh your options.

For example, your first surgeon may recommend open surgery, and the second surgeon may recommend minimally invasive surgery.In such a case, consider the pros and cons of each suggestion before making your decision.

Spine Surgery in Lone Tree, Parker, Colorado Springs, and Castle Rock

Don’t wait another day to get the treatment you need to relieve your excruciating back or neck pain. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained spine surgeon and neurosurgeons at Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery have years of experience in diagnosing and treating a full range of nerve or spine conditions and injuries. Our expert spine surgeons use advanced techniques and procedures, including minimally invasive surgical procedures, to treat your spine or nerve condition.

Filed Under: Spinal Surgery Tagged With: spine surgery Aurora CO, spine surgery Colorado Springs CO, spine surgery Denver CO, Spine Surgery In Castle Rock, Spine Surgery In Colorado Springs CO, Spine Surgery In Lone Tree, Spine Surgery In Parker, Spine Surgery near me, Spine Surgery Near You

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 2023
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« 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.