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If you have been recommended by your doctor to undergo spinal surgery, the following steps should be followed to ensure you are well prepared for your surgery. 

Health Exam: Your doctor will prescribe a series of tests to ensure your heart and lungs are healthy. You would require a blood test to check your overall parameters.

Medications: Discuss all your medications with your doctor as some medications may need to be stopped days before the procedure.

Alcohol & Smoking: You would be required to stop alcohol as well as smoking 1-2 weeks before the procedure as well as 2-3 weeks after the procedure or else it could drastically reduce the healing process.

Guidelines for the night before the surgery : 

• Don’t consume any food or water past midnight 

• If you have any infection or fever, inform your doctor immediately 

• If you are diabetic, monitor your sugar levels. In the case of abnormally high sugar levels, inform your doctor as your surgery may need to be rescheduled.

• The morning of the surgery, bathe with antibacterial soap and wear fresh clothes as well as pack a spare set of clothes along

• Confirm your transportation back home as you would need the help of a caretaker to travel back.

In the procedure of spine surgery, the neurosurgeon may remove parts of bone, ligaments from your back, cutaway bones to widen the space, join the bones together or modify some vertebrae to ease your problem. The type of surgery conducted would depend upon your condition and should be discussed with your doctor.

The procedure of spine surgery varies with the type of surgery which comes with their benefits and risks. There are different types of spinal surgeries, some of them are: 

1. Spinal Fusion: 

It is a common procedure for surgery in cases of chronic non-specific back pain with degenerative changes. The doctor, in such cases, joins the spinal bones (called vertebrae) together.

1. Laminectomy: This is the most common surgical procedure for spinal stenosis, which puts pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves within the spine. In this procedure, the surgeon removes parts of bone, bone spurs or ligaments in the back. This relieves pressure on the spinal nerves and eases pain and weakness.

2. Foraminotomy: This procedure is used to relieve pain associated with a compressed nerve in the spine. The surgeon, in this procedure, cuts away sides of the bones in the vertebrae to widen the space where the nerves exit the spine. The extra room will relieve the pressure on the nerves and consequently ease pain and discomfort.

3. Discectomy: This procedure involves the removal of a portion of a disc to relieve inflammation of the nerve. It usually involves full or partial removal of a portion of a vertebra to create access to the ruptured disc.

Placement of Artificial discs: Implanted artificial discs are an alternative treatment to spinal fusion to relieve painful movement between two discs due to an injury. It is a relatively new procedure and may not be an advisable option for many patients.

After the procedure is completed, the following steps will be performed by the medical expert or nursing staff:

• There would be frequent monitoring of blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse

• IV fluids and oxygen will be administered while providing compression stockings and foot pumps

• If need be, in the postoperative scenario, shifting to ICU can be considered for more intense monitoring which depends on the complexity of the complications

• Physician Assistant will monitor the progress postoperatively and attend to the medical needs until discharge

• Nursing staff will assist in dressing 

• The therapist would instruct on how to get in and out of bed properly in the postoperative scenario. He/She will assist with exercise, mobility and daily activities

Some general instructions can be used as a guideline for the time after surgery. This could vary from patient to patient and you must discuss this with your doctor

• Take care of the sutures and keep the wound clean and dry to prevent infections

• No pushing or lifting heavyweights 

• Avoid bending at the waist, instead bend the knees

• No back exercises in the first 3-4 weeks

• Don’t drive for the first 10-14 days after the surgery 

• Use a lower back support cushion for sitting 

• Take your medications on time

• After the wound is healed, discuss physiotherapy exercises with your doctor

Spine surgery is, in most cases, a safe medical procedure, if performed by qualified experts. However, as with any surgery, there are some risks involved. As the surgery is done near the spine, the risks can be serious. The following is a set of such complications that may be caused due to this procedure :

• Reaction to anesthesia

• Uncontrolled bleeding

• Infections after the surgery

• Blood clots that might occur in legs and lungs

• Thrombophlebitis

• Pseudoarthrosis

• Persistent pain due to an unsuccessful surgery

• Herniated disc

• Damage to nerves which might lead to weakness, paralysis, pain, sexual dysfunction or loss of bowel or bladder control

You must speak to your doctor about the possible risks and complications of this procedure. You must also discuss to what extent can this surgery reduce your back pain.

For more information on spine surgery cost in Chennai, contact Credihealth Medical Experts at 8010-994-994.