Back surgery is a surgical procedure which aims to alter the anatomy of a patient s spine, for the purpose of giving pain relief, by cutting out a herniated or damaged disc. Back surgery can be fair enough for patients of a similar age group who have not deteriorated after a number of non-surgical therapies, of course depending on the cause of pain. Sometimes, however, back surgery is considered a last resort when all other methods of back pain relief have been tried and nothing seems to be helping. This procedure is usually quite successful, even if the patient requires more than one surgery in order to fully recover from his/her back pain.
In most cases, back surgery is carried out when the patient cannot achieve or maintain a five-star standard of health due to some underlying condition. The surgery is carried out by a medical specialist who is either a surgeon or anesthesiologist, depending on whom will perform the surgery. For example, an anesthesiologist may operate in an outpatient basis, while a surgeon will operate in an ambulatory setting. The primary difference between these two is that an anesthesiologist is able to sedate the patient, whereas a surgeon is only allowed to do this if there are no neurological indications to suggest that sedation may be beneficial.
There are numerous risks involved in back surgery, especially if the procedure is carried out on an anesthetized patient. A common risk associated with back surgery is that a blood clot may form inside a blood vessel, which in turn can result in a stroke. Patients who suffer from a previous stroke may also require a longer period of recovery time, although this is usually dependent on the severity of their impairment. In addition to these risks, there is also the risk of infection, although this is infrequently reported and is normally easily treatable. It is important that patients fully understand the possible risks and complications associated with such a procedure before going ahead.