Spinal surgery

Relieving pain from herniated discs. A discectomy is a type of surgery performed to relieve pain caused by a damaged or herniated disc in the spine. Discs act as soft cushions between the vertebral bones of your spine, and when one becomes damaged, it can press on nearby nerves, leading to pain, numbness, or weakness, often felt in the back or legs. During a discectomy, the surgeon removes the damaged portion of the disc to relieve pressure on the affected nerves. This procedure can significantly reduce pain and improve mobility. It is typically performed through a small incision in the back, allowing for a less invasive approach. Many patients are able to go home the same day as the surgery. Recovery after a discectomy usually involves rest, followed by physical therapy to regain strength and enhance mobility.

Patients with a herniated or prolapsed intervertebral disc causing nerve compression. Symptoms include: Sciatica (leg pain radiating from the back). Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the affected limb. Pain not responding to conservative treatment (physiotherapy, medications, epidural injections) after 6–12 weeks. Candidates must have imaging-confirmed disc pathology correlating with symptoms.

May vary with provider. Hospital stay: Often day surgery or 1-night stay. Early recovery: Walking encouraged on the same day or next day; gradual return to light activities. Rehabilitation: Physiotherapy for core and back strengthening usually begins within 1–2 weeks. Return to work: 2–6 weeks for desk jobs; longer for manual labor (~6–12 weeks). Full recovery: Most patients improve within 6–12 weeks, but some may have residual symptoms.

Rapid relief of leg pain (sciatica) in most patients. Minimally invasive compared to open spine surgery. Shorter hospital stay and quicker return to activities than more extensive spine surgeries. Improves mobility and quality of life when conservative management fails.

Infection, bleeding or blood clots. Nerve injury or persistent nerve symptoms. Recurrence of disc herniation (~5–10%). Spinal instability (rare). This is just an outline. Your specialist orthopaedic surgeon will be able to talk to you about these issues in more detail and make sure that there is informed consent. Discectomy is highly effective for leg pain caused by disc herniation, but does not cure underlying degenerative disc disease, so some patients may continue to have mild back pain long-term.

A surgical procedure where part or all of the lamina, the bony arch of a vertebra - bones that make up the spinal cord, is removed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is often done to treat conditions like spinal stenosis, where the spinal canal narrows, or to address nerve compression from other issues like disc problems, cysts or bone spurs.

Patients with spinal canal narrowing (spinal stenosis) causing nerve compression. Common indications: Severe back pain radiating to legs. Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the lower limbs. Failure of conservative treatments such as physiotherapy, medications, or injections. Imaging (MRI or CT) must confirm compression correlating with clinical symptoms.

May vary with provider. Hospital stay: Usually 1–4 days depending on complexity. Early recovery: Walking encouraged within 1 day; light activities resumed within a week. Rehabilitation: Physiotherapy for strengthening and posture begins soon after discharge. Return to work: Desk jobs: ~4–6 weeks; manual labour: ~8–12 weeks. Full recovery: 3–6 months for most patients; improvement may continue up to 12 months.

Relieves pressure on spinal nerves, reducing leg pain and improving mobility. Can improve walking tolerance and daily function. Often highly effective in patients with nerve compression. Minimally invasive options are available for select patients.

Infection, bleeding, blood clots. Nerve injury (weakness, numbness, or paralysis in rare cases). Spinal instability if multiple levels are removed. Persistent pain or recurrence of symptoms. This is just an outline. Your specialist orthopaedic surgeon will be able to talk to you about these issues in more detail and make sure that there is informed consent. Laminectomy is primarily aimed at relieving nerve compression rather than curing degenerative spine disease, and outcomes are best when symptoms clearly correlate with imaging findings.

Spinal fusion is a surgery designed to stabilise the spine by joining two or more vertebrae together. During the procedure, the surgeon places bone graft material between the vertebrae. Screws, rods, or plates may be used to hold everything in place while the bones grow and fuse over time - much like how a broken bone heals. Fusion can help reduce pain caused by excessive movement between vertebrae or from worn-down discs or joints. Although it limits motion at the fused segment, it often improves overall function and quality of life by reducing instability and nerve irritation.

You may be a candidate for spinal fusion if you have degenerative disc disease, spinal instability (from arthritis, fractures, or spinal deformities), spondylolisthesis (vertebra slipping out of place), severe spinal stenosis, scoliosis or kyphosis, certain spinal fractures, or chronic back or neck pain that hasn’t improved with nonsurgical treatments. You should have significant symptoms affecting daily life, have tried conservative treatments (physical therapy, injections, medications) for several months, have findings on MRI/X-ray that match your symptoms, and be in good general health to undergo anaesthesia and healing.

Recovery varies based on age, health, and the complexity of the surgery, but a typical timeline looks like this. In the first 0–2 weeks, pain and stiffness are common, walking short distances is encouraged, and there is limited bending, lifting, and twisting. From 2–6 weeks, there is a gradual increase in daily activities, return to light household tasks, and some patients return to desk work. From 6–12 weeks, bone begins to fuse, physical therapy often starts, and there is continued improvement in mobility and pain. From 3–6 months, most patients resume normal activities and fusion continues to strengthen. From 6–12 months, full fusion is typically achieved with final improvement in strength and comfort.

Possible benefits include reduced or eliminated pain from unstable or damaged spinal segments, improved spinal stability, better ability to perform daily activities, decreased nerve irritation in some cases, and long-term structural correction for deformities like scoliosis.

Every surgery has risks, and spinal fusion is no exception. Possible risks include infection, bleeding or blood clots, nerve injury (rare), failure of the bones to fuse ("non-union"), hardware problems (loosening or breakage), continued or new pain, reduced flexibility in the fused part of the spine, and adjacent segment disease (nearby discs wearing faster over time). This is just an outline. Your specialist surgeon will be able to talk to you about these issues in more detail and make sure that there is informed consent.