Back pain is one of
the most common health problems people have to face at one point or another in
their lives. It is estimated that about 75% of the world's population will
experience lower-back pain at one point in their lives. While most people use
different types of medications to alleviate their pain, some need to get under
the knife to get rid of their back complications. Back surgery is considered to
be a big deal as it is not only very complex, but can also take a minimum of 3
to 4 hours or more to complete. It is only recommended if a person finds it
difficult to perform daily tasks and has chronic pain despite getting
non-invasive treatment.
There are two types
of back surgeries that your doctor may prescribe, namely - artificial disc
replacement (ADR) and spinal fusion. While both are advanced ways of treating
back pain, both have their own disadvantages. Although you will be given a
thorough explanation on both those types of surgeries and the decision of
opting for any one of them will lie with you - it is still very important to
listen to what your doctor has to say.
Artificial disc
replacement requires the damaged or worn disc between the bones in the spine to
be replaced with an artificial or synthetic disc. This relieves back pain and
enables the patient to get back to his or her daily routine only after a couple
of days' rest.
In order to replace
your problematic disc, the surgeon would reach your lower back from the front
as this would allow the surgeon to access your spine by moving the blood
vessels to the sides, taking caution as to not offset vital and sensitive
nerves. This procedure would require more than one surgeon and would take about
a minimum of 2-3 hours. Before the surgery, the doctors would have to do a
number of x-rays and determine exactly which disc has to be removed. Once the
anesthesia puts the patient to sleep, the doctors would remove the disc and
insert an artificial one.
On the other hand,
spinal fusion does not require any external/artificial bone or disc. In fact,
it involves a "welding" process. A joint is welded between the most
painful vertebrae - which become a single bone after the patient suffering from
back pain has recovered and the bone has healed.
Spinal fusion can
be done using different techniques. Your surgeon can approach the vertebrae
from wherever it is most suitable. He/she can cut through the patient's front,
back or even both depending on the condition and requirements. This surgery
might take up to 5 hours.
It is strenuous to
decide which surgery to go for as there are so many factors involved. A number
of cases have been reported where patients who chose spinal fusion still
experienced back pain. While this might be the outcome of a poor after-surgery
care, some say spinal fusion tends to fail most of the time.
There have been
very few cases reported about failed disc replacement surgeries and most people
who have already gone through this surgery say this has actually improved their
back pain and allowed them to get back to their normal lifestyle. At the end of
da the best option depends on the specific condition of one's back. Consulting
with an orthopaedic spine surgeon is recommended prior to deciding which
treatment to choose.
