Spinal Cord Surgery Operations

Spinal surgery is usually the last resort after years of unsuccessful therapy for back pain. It is more commonly used when there is actual trauma to the spine as in an accident, sports injury or as a result of certain conditions. Spinal surgery is broken down into five general procedures, all of which were developed to deal with different types of spinal problems. The names of these procedures are Discectomy, Foramenotomy, Laminectomy, Spine Fusion and Spinal Disc Replacement.

Spinal Disc Replacement

Spinal Disc replacement is the most recent addition to spinal surgery options and is still not used often. The spinal disc can be likened to a shock absorbing pad between each vertebra in the spine. These discs wear down with age or disease and can result in a herniated disc or worse. As the name implies, spinal disc replacement involves replacement of one or several spinal discs with long lasting artificial discs. The benefits of disc replacement include: Near normal stress distribution along the spine; restoration of former disc height (distance between the vertebrae caused by the disc); and restored range of motion for the spine.

Spinal Fusion

Spinal Fusion is used both as a stand-alone spinal surgery procedure, and one that is used in conjunction with other spinal surgery methods. Conditions, such as spondylolisthesis (unstable spine), scoliosis, spondylosis and kyphosis, to name a few, which weaken and destabilize the spine, are usually treated with this method. Spinal fusion refers to the joining of two vertebras to eliminate unwanted movement. This spinal surgery option can be done by replacing the vertebral disc with a rigid alternative to anchor the vertebrae. Another method is to basically splint the spinal column using bone (or another material) attached to it with wire or screws.

Laminectomy

When the spinal cord needs relief from direct pressure the spinal surgery procedure called laminectomy is used. Laminectomy removes bone to widen the spinal canal through which the spinal cord passes. Conditions such as spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis are commonly treated with this method. Spinal fusion is sometimes needed along with this surgery if enough bone was removed to create instability in the spine.

Foraminotomy

The nerves enter the spinal column to join up with the spinal cord through passages called foramen. When these passages are blocked or damaged, a spinal surgical procedure called foraminotomy is used to open them up.

Discectomy

Last, but not least, is Discectomy, a spinal surgical procedure that removes just a portion of the vertebral disc to relieve pain. This procedure is commonly used for herniated discs, which in fact is the most common reason for spine surgery.

Conclusion

Conquering back pain begins with prevention; like regular exercise, stretching and avoiding undue stress on the spine. Life usually does not play fair though and as a result, the development a spinal condition over a person’s lifetime is almost inevitable. Luckily, medical science has developed 5 spinal surgery methods to deal with almost any cause of back pain.