Neurosurgical Associates - FAQ

If I have surgery on my back and spine, does this mean I will need many more surgeries? 
For the vast majority of patients, spine surgery does not mean the beginning of a series of surgeries. A few patients do experience the need for additional surgery, but this is generally from a new condition that has developed rather than from the original surgery. 

If you operate on my spine, isn't there a high risk of paralysis? 
We know this is a major concern for many spine surgery patients. Our surgeons and surgical team have extensive experience and training. In this practice, we've performed more than 2,000 operations and none have ever resulted in paralysis and when we look at the medical literature, we see that paralysis is very, very rare. 

Is pain medication for the back and neck addictive? 
What we see is that when our patients know they need medication for pain, they take it. When they don't need it for the pain, they safely discontinue it. While we've all learned to be careful with medication that can become addictive, addiction is very rare among our patients. 

Is it true a bulging disc can be normal? 
As many as one-third of all adults have bulging/herniated discs. The discs between the vertebrae in your spine may bulge or balloon as part of the aging process, and may even bulge slightly during normal activities. Since this bulging often does not cause pain and seems to be associated with the natural aging process, we can think of it as normal. When the bulging does cause pain — the point at which we usually call it herniated — it is no longer considered normal. Your pain can, and should, be treated. 

Is a bulging disc the same thing as a herniated disc? 
It is probably simplest to think of bulging and herniated as points on a continuum. When the disc between the vertebrae bulges enough to cause a tear put pressure on a nerve root or spinal cord, we call it herniated. That is generally the point at which patients experience back pain and that's the time to seek treatment. 

Is there treatment for arthritis of the spine? 
Although there isn't a cure for arthritis in the spine, there are a lot of things that we can do to help treat your pain. Exercise and muscle strengthening, as well as medication can be extremely helpful for relieving pain. In some instances, when the pain is severe and we can clearly identify the source, surgery may be an option. 

How can I tell when surgery is really necessary for my bad back? 
In most cases, surgery becomes an option when all other steps to relieve you pain have not worked. In cases of infection or cancer of the spine, we do need to consider surgery, but we always opt for the least invasive surgery possible. 

What are biggest risks in back and spine surgery? 
Every surgery entails some risk, including the possibility of infection or bleeding or a secondary injury from the surgery itself. Probably the greatest risk from spine surgery is that a patient will not achieve the relief from pain that he or she had hoped for. These risks are reduced by careful consideration of what is appropriate for a specific patient, by the preparation of the surgeon and by the skilled practice of the surgeon.