General Information about Back or Neck Surgery
(Return to Table of Contents)
As our patients, many of you choose to undergo an operation on your low back for lumbar disk disease or on your neck for cervical disk disease. This may involve simply removing the disk, or possibly a fusion. As your surgeons, we believe this will improve your pain situation greatly or we would not recommend such an operation.
Lumbar or cervical disk disease is a process that is the result of aging and genetics and cannot be reversed as you grow older. We will perform the medically recommended operation to try to alleviate your pain and to get you back to as close to a normal lifestyle as is possible. Your hope for a strong, positive outcome requires that you follow the guidelines for recovery after the surgery, such as an exercise or weight reduction program and a healthful diet. If needed after your back surgery, we will help you get involved with a back rehabilitation program that will be tailored to your needs. This program will be designed around the facilities that are available in your area.
We can not guarantee that surgery will cure your problem or that you will be pain-free for the rest of your life. A small percentage of people require another operation in the future. We, as your surgeons, hope that you are realistic about your expectations for this surgery. Medical science cannot reverse degenerative changes in disks.
Surgery is a cooperative effort between you and your surgeon to achieve the best possible result. All communication between you and your surgeon is confidential.
Return to Table of Contents
|
