3 Potential Post-Op Problems after Spine Surgery

Every surgical procedure carries certain risks. No patient wants to hear that before a procedure, but educating yourself on the potential risks (and how to avoid them) makes for a much better surgical experience. In this article, we will discuss some of the potential problems that can occur after a minimally invasive keyhole spine procedure, and how to best avoid these issues.

Spine Surgery & Post-Op Pain

The biggest concern on nearly every patient’s mind after surgery is pain. All surgical procedures involve some level of post-op pain. Surgery requires incisions, and these take time to heal. During that healing process, the patient can experience pain.

To combat this, your surgeon will give you a regimen of medications to manage pain after your procedure. Typically, you will begin with more intense prescription opioids to control pain when it’s at its worst, and eventually you will ween yourself off of those meds and onto over-the-counter NSAIDs.

Infection from Spinal Surgery

Post-op infections are another common concern for patients undergoing spine surgery. An infection can cause significant pain and may require additional surgery, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to try and avoid surgical infections.

Thankfully, minimally invasive spinal procedures offer a significant reduction in the risk of infection compared to traditional spine surgeries. As a patient, the best thing you can do to reduce your risk of infection is follow your doctor’s post-op instructions to the letter.

Spinal Nerve Damage After Surgery

The spine is filled with nerves that deliver signals to and from the brain. Potential damage to these spinal nerves is a big fear for a lot of patients.

One of the biggest benefits of minimally invasive spine procedures is that they cut down on nerve interference during surgery. Some tingling and numbness after surgery is to be expected. However, if you experience and numbness that won’t go away after several weeks following your procedure, contact your surgeon immediately.

The innovative minimally invasive spine procedures pioneered by Inspired Spine significantly reduce these potential post-operative problems. For more information about our revolutionary spine surgeries, get our free patient guide.