Considering Spine Surgery? What You Need to Know

The news that you may need spinal surgery can cause many emotions: hope that you may find more pain relief, fear about the procedure and recovery, and confusion about what to do next. Before you make a decision, take steps to empower yourself by learning everything you can about your condition, your treatment options, and your surgeon.

Know the cause of your pain

Identifying the cause of your pain is different from finding out what is anatomically wrong with your back.

For example, you may have a herniated disc that shows up on an MRI scan, but if that is not the cause of your pain, then surgery for the herniated disc (usually a microdiscectomy) will not help you find pain relief. You and your doctor(s) should be able to articulate the precise pain generator before surgery is even considered.

Many practitioners believe that one of the most common causes of failed back surgery syndrome (continued pain after surgery) is an improper diagnosis prior to surgery.

Get a referral to a good spine surgeon

Ask your current treating physician to refer or recommend one or more good spine surgeons. Because there’s no perfect way to evaluate and compare surgeon competencies, your physician will likely have to rely on word of mouth and anecdotal data.

Referring physicians can get a sense of the surgeon’s qualifications through knowing whether a surgeon has been fellowship-trained in spine surgery, the number of back surgeries they may have performed, and whether spine surgery is a significant part of their practice.

Be well prepared for your medical consultation

When you’re in pain, it can be difficult to describe your situation to your doctor in a complete, concise, and accurate manner. Meeting a spine surgeon can also be overwhelming and intimidating. Researching likely questions ahead of time can help. Be prepared to discuss your medical history (including your family’s history), details about your pain, and your expectations about the proposed surgery and its results.

Evaluate the referred spine surgeon

During your visit, be prepared to interview your prospective spine surgeon. Find out the spine surgeon’s success rate for the particular surgery. The surgeon should have data to share with potential new patients. You may also ask to speak with other patients who have gone through the same procedure with this surgeon.

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