SERVICES
Spinal Surgeries for Trauma and Degeneration
BRAIN
SPINAL CORD
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
What are the reasons for spinal surgery?
Spinal surgery is essential in managing a spinal cord injury and is effective in treating chronic pain.
Spine surgery aims to do one of two things:
- Stabilise the spinal column
- Remove growths or anything compressing the spinal cord or spinal nerves.
What does surgical stability of the spine involve?
Spinal stabilisation is a procedure that includes the use of implantable instruments such as rods, screws, internal cages and plates. A spine surgeon uses the patient's tissue or bone from a donor (autograft or allograft) that he entwines within the implantable device to stimulate bone growth. Waiting over the next few months allows the bone to unify.
The use of spinal devices, spinal fusion and decompression techniques improve a patient's quality of life, especially after a traumatic event causing damage to the spinal cord. These techniques are used to reduce the risk of a spinal deformity and preserve and reduce pressure on the spinal nerves.
Procedures to decompress the spine include a laminectomy together with a spinal fusion, but a spine surgeon chooses to initiate the best technique considering the circumstances. The extent of spinal surgery depends on the level of injury and technique initiated. Spinal fusion usually follows decompression of the spine after the structure loses its stability from the loss of bone, spinal discs and flexible supporting tissue.
What are the advantages of spine surgery after trauma?
The primary benefit of undergoing spine surgery directly after suffering a spinal cord injury is the vitality of blood supply to the spine. In addition, studies indicate that patients who undergo decompression surgery after a spine injury within 24 hours show significant improvement in terms of recovery.
Common spine surgeries performed in South Africa include:
- Spinal fusion joins bones of the spine to prevent painful friction and improve vertebral stability.
- Discectomy is the removal of a disc portion pressing on spinal nerves and causing back pain.
- Laminectomyis done to treat lumbar spinal stenosis. This procedure involves removing ligaments, bones and growths, putting pressure on spinal nerves.
- Disc replacement surgery entails the removal and replacement of a spinal disc.
- Foraminotomy is a procedure that cuts away at the edges of the vertebrae to increase the area where nerves move out through the spine.
- A U-shaped implant between the vertebrae in the lower back relieves pressure on the nerves of the spine.
What are the reasons for spinal surgery?
Spinal surgery is essential in managing a spinal cord injury and is effective in treating chronic pain.
Spine surgery aims to do one of two things:
- Stabilise the spinal column
- Remove growths or anything compressing the spinal cord or spinal nerves.
What does surgical stability of the spine involve?
Spinal stabilisation is a procedure that includes the use of implantable instruments such as rods, screws, internal cages and plates. A spine surgeon uses the patient's tissue or bone from a donor (autograft or allograft) that he entwines within the implantable device to stimulate bone growth. Waiting over the next few months allows the bone to unify.
The use of spinal devices, spinal fusion and decompression techniques improve a patient's quality of life, especially after a traumatic event causing damage to the spinal cord. These techniques are used to reduce the risk of a spinal deformity and preserve and reduce pressure on the spinal nerves.
Procedures to decompress the spine include a laminectomy together with a spinal fusion, but a spine surgeon chooses to initiate the best technique considering the circumstances. The extent of spinal surgery depends on the level of injury and technique initiated. Spinal fusion usually follows decompression of the spine after the structure loses its stability from the loss of bone, spinal discs and flexible supporting tissue.
What are the advantages of spine surgery after trauma?
The primary benefit of undergoing spine surgery directly after suffering a spinal cord injury is the vitality of blood supply to the spine. In addition, studies indicate that patients who undergo decompression surgery after a spine injury within 24 hours show significant improvement in terms of recovery.
Common spine surgeries performed in South Africa include:
- Spinal fusion joins bones of the spine to prevent painful friction and improve vertebral stability.
- Discectomy is the removal of a disc portion pressing on spinal nerves and causing back pain.
- Laminectomyis done to treat lumbar spinal stenosis. This procedure involves removing ligaments, bones and growths, putting pressure on spinal nerves.
- Disc replacement surgery entails the removal and replacement of a spinal disc.
- Foraminotomy is a procedure that cuts away at the edges of the vertebrae to increase the area where nerves move out through the spine.
- A U-shaped implant between the vertebrae in the lower back relieves pressure on the nerves of the spine.