The main purpose of spinal surgery is to correct a spinal condition in individuals who fail to show improvement after a period of non-surgical treatment including pain medication, modified activities and physical therapy.
Surgical options are generally considered when the spinal symptoms persist and impairs the ability to work or undertake leisure or normal daily activities. Some operations are performed using minimally invasive techniques and allow for a quick recovery (e.g lumbar microdiscectomy or cervical foraminotomy), whilst other operations, such as lumbar instrumented fusion for back pain, are more extensive and have a longer recovery time.
This section provides an overview of some of the more routine operations for common spinal conditions, and answers frequently asked questions relating to these operations including success rates and recovery time.
