Category: General Questions

The risks and benefits of spine surgery share some of the common risks of any type of surgery, which is in general all the horrible things you can think of. You’re having surgery, anything can happen. The risks are generally very focused, depending upon the procedure is, for instance, your single biggest risk from cervical surgery is having difficulty swallowing for a couple days.

In my opinion, lumbar fusions as a procedure are often overperformed. That’s why it’s important to find a surgeon who’s gonna look for all options other than a fusion to try and get you better. Ultimately, if you do need a a fusion, a surgeon that’s gonna try and do the minimum and the best way possible to get you better with the least intervention possible.

Success rates vary a lot for spine surgery based on the location, the surgery type, and the patient and the underlying condition. For instance, cervical success rates are sur surgery in the front of the neck, extraordinarily high. Some of the most successful procedures that are performed of all surgical procedures, success rates in the low back, vary more.

Generally success rates for somebody with a simple herniated disc that needs minor surgery also has very high success rates.

Success rates in the low back when patients need a fusion more come down to, I think, surgical decision making than the fusion itself. If someone tells you you need a fusion, I think it’s very important to get a second opinion and go see a surgeon who’s really gonna think through the process and try and tailor the surgery specifically for the individual to try to do the minimum, to get that patient better while still having a quality of life.