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Standing Straight: What are the Types of Spine Surgery?
April 18, 2022
From car accidents to slipping on the floor, 17,810 people checked into hospitals daily because of sustaining spinal cord injuries. The effects of a spinal injury are serious, and they can interfere with your mobility.
The good news is that going for surgery early enough can reverse these effects. There are various types of spine surgery for different types of spinal injuries.
If you suffer from spinal injuries, it’s important to inform yourself about the various surgeries available. This way, finding the right treatment for your condition will be easier.
Here are some of the common surgeries available.
Discectomy
This is a type of surgery for removing herniated discs. In medicine, surgeons refer to a disc as herniated when a fragment penetrates the spinal canal. Various surgical procedures make up the discectomy.
A percutaneous discectomy addresses a spinal injury resulting from nerve compression by the discs. An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is a procedure for removing degenerative discs. And a microsurgical discectomy refers to a lesser invasive surgical procedure for treating a herniated disc.
Lumbar Laminectomy: One of the Types of Spine Surgery Popular With the Elderly
As you continue to age, you risk getting spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis refers to a condition where your spinal canal continuously narrows. You’ll have trouble walking and maintaining balance, among other effects when you have this condition.
Lumbar laminectomy aims to alleviate this condition by widening the spinal canal. The surgery involves removing the part of the lamina that’s narrowing the canal. A surgeon does this by getting rid of the excess tissue or bone spurs in the area(s) of interest.
Spinal Fusion Surgery
When two or more vertebrae that are close together move against each other, you experience excruciating pain. This isn’t supposed to be the case if you have a healthy spinal cord. Spinal fusion surgery reverses the condition by connecting the vertebrae and keeping them from moving against each other.
The procedure entails connecting the affected vertebrae using rods and small screws, then leaving them to heal and fuse naturally together. Surgeons use bone grafts from other body parts to fast-track the fusion process.
Foraminotomy
The spinal cord communicates with the brain via the nerves. The nerve connections in the spinal cord exit it from small holes in between the vertebrae. These holes are known as the intervertebral foramina.
At times, the intervertebral foramina become too small due to various reasons. The reduction in the size of these holes exerts excess pressure on the nerves resulting in pain and weakness. Foraminotomy is a procedure for relieving the pressure on the nerves.
Artificial Disk Replacement
This procedure is a suitable alternative to spinal fusion. It involves the replacement of severely damaged discs with synthetic ones.
The artificial disc assists in the smooth movement between the vertebrae.
Seek Treatment for Spinal Injury
Failing to seek treatment for a spine condition may derail the quality of your life. You’ll have trouble walking and performing normal tasks because of the pain from the injury. Check yourself in a hospital as soon as possible to avoid these pitfalls.
Doctors will recommend the different types of spine surgery to get you back on track. Get in touch with a specialist from All Spine Care for help today.