Things to Consider Before Consenting to an Open-Neck or -Back Surgery
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J Soland
May 11, 2013, 9:36:02 PM5/11/13
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Article Title: Things to Consider Before Consenting to an Open-Neck or -Back Surgery
Author: J Soland
Word Count: 595
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1837208&ca=Medicines+and+Remedies
Format: 64cpl
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Like all surgeries, open-neck and -back operations come with certain risks and the decision to undergo them shouldn�t be taken lightly. If your physician has recommended surgical treatment for a degenerative spine condition (such as facet disease, spondylolisthesis, or degenerative disc disease), then you may want to consider a few things before consenting to an operation.
Is Surgery Really Necessary?
Very few patients who are diagnosed with degenerative spine conditions require surgery. In most cases, conservative, nonsurgical treatments are effective means for relieving pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and other symptoms associated with compression of the spinal nerves, nerve roots, and spinal cord. If you haven�t already utilized all of the nonsurgical treatments available to you, then how do you know that surgery truly is necessary? If there are any of these treatments that your physician hasn�t recommended, ask him or her if you should give them a try:
- Over-the-counter, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen
- Over-the-counter analgesics like acetaminophen
- Prescription pain relievers and/or muscle relaxants
- Physical therapy
- Lifestyle modifications (i.e. losing weight, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption)
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Hot/cold therapy
- Alternative therapies (acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, restorative yoga, etc.)
It sometimes requires several weeks or months of conservative treatment before a patient achieves pain relief. Keep this in mind and, though it may seem impossible, try not to become frustrated as you and your physician work to find an effective treatment regimen.
Are You a Candidate for a Minimally Invasive Procedure?
If you�ve exhausted all of your nonsurgical treatment options, then surgery may be warranted. Some patients are candidates for minimally invasive procedures as an alternative to open-neck or -back surgeries. Unlike major spine surgeries, these procedures require no overnight hospital stays and are performed through very small incisions that are generally only about an inch long. Whereas open-spine surgeries necessitate the dissection of musculature, minimally invasive procedures only require that the muscles are gently moved to the side. The surgeon achieves this by inserting a series of tubes into the incision, each slightly larger in diameter than the last.
Eventually, the opening is large enough (typically about the size of a marker) for the surgeon to insert a small camera (endoscope) and various tools. The surgeon uses these tools to decompress a spinal nerve by removing only the portion of spinal anatomy that has invaded the spinal column. In an open-spine surgery, on the other hand, the surgeon may need to remove a portion of anatomy (typically an intervertebral disc) in its entirety. The spine must then be stabilized by installing an intervertebral cage in the space the disc once occupied and inserting bone graft material to fuse the adjacent vertebrae. In contrast, most patients who undergo a minimally invasive procedure do not require spine fusion.
Open-spine surgeries can require several months of arduous rehabilitation and patients face relatively high risks of developing Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS), which is the worsening or continuation of symptoms following surgery. Those who undergo minimally invasive procedures can often resume daily activities within a matter of weeks and face a lower risk of developing FBSS.
What Now?
Whether there are nonsurgical treatments you haven�t yet utilized, or you�re interested in undergoing a minimally invasive procedure in lieu of an open-spine surgery, you should consult with your physician.
About The Author: John Soland is an experienced writer who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to patient education. http://laserspine.net/
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1837208
*********************** ARTICLE END ***********************
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Message delivered directly to members of the group:
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*****************************************************************
Please consider this free-reprint article written by:
J Soland
*****************************
IMPORTANT - Publication/Reprint Terms
- You have permission to publish this article electronically in free-only publications such as a website or an ezine as long as the bylines are included.
- You are not allowed to use this article for commercial purposes. The article should only be reprinted in a publicly accessible website and not in a members-only commercial site.
- You are not allowed to post/reprint this article in any sites/publications that contains or supports hate, violence, porn and warez or any indecent and illegal sites/publications.
- You are not allowed to use this article in UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email) or SPAM. This article MUST be distributed in an opt-in email list only.
- If you distribute this article in an ezine or newsletter, we ask that you send a copy of the newsletter or ezine that contains the article to http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1837208
- If you post this article in a website/forum/blog, ALL links MUST be set to hyperlinks and we ask that you send a copy of the URL where the article is posted to http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1837208
- We request that you ask permission from the author if you want to publish this article in print.
The role of iSnare.com is only to distribute this article as part of its Article Distribution feature ( http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php ). iSnare.com does NOT own this article, please respect the author's copyright and this publication/reprint terms. If you do not agree to any of these terms, please do not reprint or publish this article.
*****************************
Article Title: Things to Consider Before Consenting to an Open-Neck or -Back Surgery
Author: J Soland
Word Count: 595
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1837208&ca=Medicines+and+Remedies
Format: 64cpl
Contact The Author: http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1837208
Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1837208
*********************** ARTICLE START ***********************
Like all surgeries, open-neck and -back operations come with certain risks and the decision to undergo them shouldn�t be taken lightly. If your physician has recommended surgical treatment for a degenerative spine condition (such as facet disease, spondylolisthesis, or degenerative disc disease), then you may want to consider a few things before consenting to an operation.
Is Surgery Really Necessary?
Very few patients who are diagnosed with degenerative spine conditions require surgery. In most cases, conservative, nonsurgical treatments are effective means for relieving pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and other symptoms associated with compression of the spinal nerves, nerve roots, and spinal cord. If you haven�t already utilized all of the nonsurgical treatments available to you, then how do you know that surgery truly is necessary? If there are any of these treatments that your physician hasn�t recommended, ask him or her if you should give them a try:
- Over-the-counter, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen
- Over-the-counter analgesics like acetaminophen
- Prescription pain relievers and/or muscle relaxants
- Physical therapy
- Lifestyle modifications (i.e. losing weight, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption)
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Hot/cold therapy
- Alternative therapies (acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, restorative yoga, etc.)
It sometimes requires several weeks or months of conservative treatment before a patient achieves pain relief. Keep this in mind and, though it may seem impossible, try not to become frustrated as you and your physician work to find an effective treatment regimen.
Are You a Candidate for a Minimally Invasive Procedure?
If you�ve exhausted all of your nonsurgical treatment options, then surgery may be warranted. Some patients are candidates for minimally invasive procedures as an alternative to open-neck or -back surgeries. Unlike major spine surgeries, these procedures require no overnight hospital stays and are performed through very small incisions that are generally only about an inch long. Whereas open-spine surgeries necessitate the dissection of musculature, minimally invasive procedures only require that the muscles are gently moved to the side. The surgeon achieves this by inserting a series of tubes into the incision, each slightly larger in diameter than the last.
Eventually, the opening is large enough (typically about the size of a marker) for the surgeon to insert a small camera (endoscope) and various tools. The surgeon uses these tools to decompress a spinal nerve by removing only the portion of spinal anatomy that has invaded the spinal column. In an open-spine surgery, on the other hand, the surgeon may need to remove a portion of anatomy (typically an intervertebral disc) in its entirety. The spine must then be stabilized by installing an intervertebral cage in the space the disc once occupied and inserting bone graft material to fuse the adjacent vertebrae. In contrast, most patients who undergo a minimally invasive procedure do not require spine fusion.
Open-spine surgeries can require several months of arduous rehabilitation and patients face relatively high risks of developing Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS), which is the worsening or continuation of symptoms following surgery. Those who undergo minimally invasive procedures can often resume daily activities within a matter of weeks and face a lower risk of developing FBSS.
What Now?
Whether there are nonsurgical treatments you haven�t yet utilized, or you�re interested in undergoing a minimally invasive procedure in lieu of an open-spine surgery, you should consult with your physician.
About The Author: John Soland is an experienced writer who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to patient education. http://laserspine.net/
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1837208
*********************** ARTICLE END ***********************
- To distribute your articles go to http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php
- For more free-reprint articles go to http://www.isnare.com
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