The need for spinal surgery often, though not always, occurs after a long history of physical therapies and other treatments. The realisation that the condition is not responding and a surgical procedure needs to be considered can be difficult.
Spinal surgery has advanced exceptionally over the last few decades. Procedures which years ago did not have an acceptable success rate are now radically different in outcome due to technology and advances in technique.
It is not uncommon to see a patient do very well from a procedure today that they were advised would not be appropriate previously.
• An accurate and careful history, examination and review of imaging is the key to selecting if surgery would help and if so which procedure is appropriate
• In most cases, a simple decompression of the nerves will relieve the condition
• Providing stabilisation of the spine, when required, is a much less onerous task than the community expects and recovery is generally more rapid
• Recovery is a joint approach with good communication between treating surgeon, physical therapist and you the patient.