The 5 Common Types Of Back Pain Surgery Procedures

Surgery for back pain is not considered until all other options have been tried. If back pain surgery is deemed necessary there are five different procedures depending on the particular diagnoses. These are known as discetomy, spinal fusion, laminectomy, vertebroplasty and removal of tumors.

1) Discetomy
Discetomy is indicated when an intervertebral disc has herniated or torn. This surgical procedure may involve complete or partial removal of the damaged disc. Removing a disc may allow for relief of pressure to nerves and/or blood supply that is being pinched by the damaged disc. If the whole disc is removed, spinal fusion or a disc implant may also be necessary. Recovery has been reported to take about one month.

2) spinal fusion
A spinal fusion is indicated after a whole discetomy has been performed. If you have a spinal fracture or congenital deformity, a spinal fusion may also be indicated. A spinal fusion involves bone grafts uniting two vertebrae where the damaged disc has been removed. This procedure may require further metalwork to provide extra support for bone to heal properly. Spinal fusion recovery ranges from about six weeks to one year depending on the number of spinal fusions done and the reason for this particular surgery.

3) Laminectomy
A laminectomy is a surgery that removes excessive bony layers of your vertebrae. This procedure is done to remove pressure on your nerves and spinal cord due to narrowing of the spinal cord (cord stenosis) or a disc that has herniated. Recovery time varies depending on your particular condition and overall health but runs between eight weeks to six months.

4) Vertebroplasty
A vertebroplasty is a surgical procedure that is done to stabilize the spine. This is often done when a patient has osteoporosis. This procedure uses a type of cement and injects it into porous bone of the backbone to prevent fractures from occurring. Osteoporosis occurs mostly during the aging process that involves an imbalance of bone remodeling. In fact, bone is being broken down faster than it is remade allowing holes to accumulate making bone very porous and easily fractured. This is common in postmenopausal women.

5) removal of tumors
Another form of back pain surgery involves the removal of tumors. In general, benign tumors are removed to relieve pressure on nerves and blood vessels. If the tumor is malignant, it is removed to prevent spread of the cancer to other parts of the body. Recovery from tumor removal is highly variable. Ultimately is depends on the tumor type and size. Recovery also depends on the health of the patient and other therapies that may need to be administered such as radiotherapy in the case of cancer.
Depending on whether you have nerve compression and/or blood flow blockage, deformities (accident or congenital) or require spinal fusion you may require one or more back pain surgeries. Remember that back pain surgery should:-