Disectomy
There are hardly any people who can say that he or she has lived a long life without suffering pains in the back at one stage of their life or the other. Research has revealed that most people suffer from pains in the back at one stage of their life or the other. Generally people consult their doctor when they find that the pain is getting unbearable and are often prescribed with pain killers or they are advised to opt in for various types of non invasive surgery. This course of action is followed by the doctors because surgery of the back is quite complicated and is generally not resorted to unless and until there are no other options left for the doctor.
The spinal region of the human being is a huge mass of tissues and nerves that connect the human body with the brain. Dislocating or disturbing even one of these nerves might prove to be life taking and it is due to this reason that surgeons do not recommend surgery of the back. According to medical records, only 5% of those who suffer from back pain are actually operated upon. The rest 95% get relief through other types of non invasive treatment. On many occasions simple physical therapy is more than enough to cure pains in the back. On other occasions light exercises might be recommended by the doctor.
Our backbone (also known as the spine) comprises of 24 pieces of bones (known as vertebrae). These bones look like a long tower of hollow bricks that are held together by rubbery plates that are called discs, whose central portion is soft. This entire arrangement helps us to bend our back. When a disc slips out of place from this arrangement and presses on the nerves of the back, it creates acute pain. There are various types of surgery that the surgeon might recommend to help you get rid of your back pain.
One of the most common of such types of surgery is discectomy. This surgery is done under general anesthesia and you shall be asleep for the duration of the operation. An incision of about three inches is made down the backbone in the lower back. The surgeon then removes the soft portion of the damaged disc through this incision and in doing so releases the pressure on the nerves in the back of the patient. However, the rigid outer rim of the disc is not removed.
Once the surgery is over, the wound on the skin is closed with clips or stitches. The patient is generally kept in the hospital from 1 to 3 days post surgery. If you are planning to opt in for back surgery, it is recommended that you select the best doctor available. It is also suggested that you opt in for a second opinion before opting in for surgery. You can find a list of good surgeons on the yellow pages. If you have medical insurance coverage, the directory provided to you by the insurance company will have a list of surgeons.
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Our backbone (also known as the spine) comprises of 24 pieces of bones (known as vertebrae). These bones look like a long tower of hollow bricks that are held together by rubbery plates that are called discs, whose central portion is soft. This entire arrangement helps us to bend our back. When a disc slips out of place from this arrangement and presses on the nerves of the back, it creates acute pain. There are various types of surgery that the surgeon might recommend to help you get rid of your back pain.
One of the most common of such types of surgery is discectomy. This surgery is done under general anesthesia and you shall be asleep for the duration of the operation. An incision of about three inches is made down the backbone in the lower back. The surgeon then removes the soft portion of the damaged disc through this incision and in doing so releases the pressure on the nerves in the back of the patient. However, the rigid outer rim of the disc is not removed.
Once the surgery is over, the wound on the skin is closed with clips or stitches. The patient is generally kept in the hospital from 1 to 3 days post surgery. If you are planning to opt in for back surgery, it is recommended that you select the best doctor available. It is also suggested that you opt in for a second opinion before opting in for surgery. You can find a list of good surgeons on the yellow pages. If you have medical insurance coverage, the directory provided to you by the insurance company will have a list of surgeons.
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