Bony overgrowths may begin in the spinal canal and mostly occur in people having arthritis in the spine. The overgrowths may cause pressure and pain in your back. Roswell spine surgery offers a laminectomy procedure as one treatment option for spinal pain that refuses to go away with conservative medications and therapy. Laminectomy has rare chances of complications because of its safety, but if you develop any complications, your surgeon will recommend relief treatments.
Why Would You Require This Procedure?
Laminectomy aims to create space in your spine by removing tissues and bone spurs relating to arthritis of the spine. The procedure becomes necessary when conservative forms of treatment like physical therapy, injections, and medications fail to work efficiently. Bone overgrowths may build up and narrow the spine in the nerves and cords, causing pressure that leads to pain and weakness. Therefore, your doctor may recommend laminectomy to relieve this pressure, thus reducing spinal pain. Your symptoms may include persistent and severe pain, disabling, restricted movement and functionality, and numbness. You can also receive this treatment if you have a herniated spinal disk.
What Are The Risks of Laminectomy?
Complications may arise with any surgical procedure. Therefore with laminectomy, your risks may include bleeding, blood clots, nerve injury, and spinal fluid leak. You may also develop risks related to the use of general anesthesia. Additionally, you may develop other disks that relate to a health condition you may have. Therefore you should discuss your medical concerns with your doctor first.
How Do You Prepare For The Procedure?
Before treatment, your doctor will explain how the surgery will go and then allow you to raise any concerns you may have about laminectomy. Your doctor will ask about your health history and perform a physical exam to ensure you are in good health. You can inform your doctor about any allergic and sensitive conditions you may have. Talk about your current prescriptions and OTC medications.
What Happens During The Procedure?
You will need general anesthesia to make you unconscious throughout the surgery. Your surgeon will make an incision over the affected part of your back and then use surgical instruments to remove the overgrowths. Your incision will depend on how the condition has affected you and your body size. You may also have spinal fusion during a laminectomy to connect your spinal bones. Your surgeon then closes the incision, stitches it, and applies a dressing.
What Happens After Surgery?
You may require a hospital stay of a few days, and you may experience pain during this time. Your doctor will administer pain relievers and recommend walking on the evening of a laminectomy procedure. At home, you will need to keep the incision site clean.
Find a doctor at APEX Spine and Neurosurgery to receive a laminectomy procedure for spinal pain. You can raise questions to your provider if you have any on this procedure and receive an outline of the benefits and risks. Your surgeon will instruct you to take care of yourself after the procedure. Visit the website to make an online appointment.
