Spine surgery: treated pathologies, techniques, and risks

Spine surgery is indicated in patients who have structural anomalies or malformations that cannot be corrected with alternative treatments. The main reasons that produce these malformations can be either birth or caused by age, or events that occur throughout life such as accidents or degeneration due to lifestyle (extreme sports, sedentary lifestyle, harmful postures).

Generally, a good spine surgeon will try to proceed with more conservative options to resolve the problem before indicating surgical intervention, which is why it is essential to have a team of trusted traumatologists who recommend the most convenient treatment for the patient.

The most important thing in all cases is to try to guarantee the most effective recovery with the least possible pain and safety.

When is spine surgery performed?

Most of the chronic back pain They arise from nerves that are compressed. These nerves can be compressed for a variety of reasons. The causes are as varied as there are diseases, although we can divide them into two major common problems:

•  Disk problems: Wear or herniated discs cause the separation between the bones of the spine to be lost, generating painful pressure.
• Bone growth problems: This case occurs when, due to some diseases, an anomaly occurs that grows and generates pressure on the nerves that pass through the openings of the vertebrae.

However, we can detail a series of diseases that arise from these two major problems for which spinal surgeries are generally performed.

Spine pathologies for which surgery is performed

Below we briefly explain the main pathologies that affect the spine and that are usually solved by carrying out some type of surgical intervention thanks to the spine clinic in Madrid:

• Cervical Disc Herniation: It is one of the main problems that affect people who suffer from spinal problems today. It is estimated that 30% of patients who present symptoms are affected in the cervical region. This occurs when the intervertebral discs suffer significant deterioration in the neck region, which can lead to pressure on the nerves near the spinal cord.
• Lumbar disc herniation: It is the deterioration, fracture or displacement of the intervertebral discs located in the lumbar region (L1-L5). Together with the cervical region, they are the two parts of the spine that endure the greatest movement and demands, which is why they are the ones that are most frequently damaged.
• Facet osteoarthritis: The facet joints are located between the vertebrae of the spine. Over the years, it is normal for a person to suffer wear of the cartilage of the facet joint, giving rise to facet syndrome.
• Low back pain: is the main reason why traumatologists specializing in low back pain are consulted in Madrid. It is not a disease itself, but a condition that produces localized pain in the lumbar area of the spine located in the lower back.
• Cervical sprain: It is produced by some sudden movement that forces the flexibility of the cervical spine, producing a whiplash or tear of the ligaments that join the vertebrae.
• Spinal infection: It is when a microorganism invades the area, causing an infection. There are three levels at which we can highlight the invasion of the disc, the vertebra or both.
• Dorsal or lumbar vertebral fracture: This type of fracture is caused by a break in the vertebra due to trauma, the most common being a fracture in l1). The patient may suffer from this disease to a greater or lesser extent due to the consistency of the bones. The patient undergoes spinal reconstructive surgery using highly advanced techniques such as kyphoplasty. He recovery time for a dorsal or lumbar vertebra fracture It is usually 24 to 48 hours for medical discharge, with the healing time for a common vertebral fracture being about 8 or 10 weeks.

Spine surgery techniques

There are different surgical techniques that cover all possible intervention treatments for different diseases and they are:

• Advanced Spine Endoscopy: It is one of the most innovative techniques that exist, which is carried out with a 2 to 3 millimeter incision. Its success is based on minimally invasive spine microsurgery in Madrid carried out by the team of spine traumatologists at Clínica Elgeadi.
• Cervical prosthesis: Cervical arthroplasty is a decompression surgery that consists of the implantation of a prosthesis that functions as a replacement for an intervertebral disc to release compression of the spinal cord.
• Radiofrequency: This method consists of cutting the nerves that affect the facet joints using radiofrequency to eliminate the pain that arises from their wear.
• Infiltration: Anti-inflammatories are injected into the spinal canal, affecting the nerve branches that innervate the joints, thus reducing the pain caused by osteoarthritis.
• Balloon kyphoplasty: It is a minimally invasive reconstructive surgery performed when vertebral compression fractures occur. Using this technique, the bone tissue is re-expanded and cemented in an outpatient procedure with local anesthesia.
• Arthrodesis: This technique is generally used to repair joints caused by spinal deformities, such as scoliosis, or to stabilize joints that arise from vertebral displacements in cases of spondylolisthesis. It differentiates between posterior lumbar arthrodesis and the anterior cervical arthrodesis.
•  Microdiscectomy: It is generally used to repair herniated discs and consists of removing a part of the disc or bone of the spine to decompress the nerve.

Risks of spine surgery

The complications that can arise in spinal surgery (as well as any minimal intervention performed) can be postoperative infection, bleeding, risks of anesthesia and death (0.02%). However, the percentage of one of these happening is minimal.

In addition, there are certain complications that may arise due to the skill or technique of the specialized surgeon: such as nerve or spinal damage, or that the intervention does not achieve subsequent relief of symptoms. Therefore, it is essential to have an experienced medical team and take the time to choose the best specialist to perform the operation.

Recovery after spinal surgery

After receiving the discharge after spinal surgery It is essential to follow the doctor's instructions to the letter in order to have a good rehabilitation.

Although care after spinal surgery They depend a lot on the type of technique that has been used, we can establish certain basic parameters that must be taken into account for effective rehabilitation.

• Repose: Whether it be hours, days or weeks, you must strictly comply with the rest established to allow the bones and tissues to heal.
• wound care: Postoperative infections are very common complications that can be avoided with proper cleaning of the affected area. Make sure to keep the wound clean and dry and see a doctor if there is any sign, no matter how minor, of infection.
• Exercise: To recover our body, it is essential to reactivate movement with exercises that help strengthen the affected area. Make sure you seek advice from a rehabilitation specialist to return to your normal life as soon as possible.

Price of spine surgery in Madrid

Although what is important in these cases is quality and trust in the surgical team above all things, it is clear that a concern for patients is spine surgery price.

The budget you request will include a sterile room with the latest technology, anesthesia and nursing services, and a team of specialized traumatologists who will accompany the patient during and after their operation. In these cases, it is best to choose taking into account only the quality and trust that the medical team provides you.

 Typically, the best trauma teams work with different hospitals, coverages, and financing options to make it easier for all patients. If you want to receive more information, contact our team of specialist traumatologists in spine surgery.