What is spinal surgery?

Disc herniation
The discs, shock absorbers of the spine can rupture and dislocate. Tissue from the disc can compress the nerve root and give irritation and pain down to the hand or foot. If the pain does not getting better during 8-12 weeks you can operate and release the nerve root. We have vast experience of microsurgical technique during 15 years. This method permits early return to normal activity

Spinal stenosis
When the spine is degenerated, cartilage and bone spurs can obstruct the nerve channels. There is often pain and numbness down the legs. Sometime the walking distance will be reduced down to under 100m. Sitting down is often much more comfortable. On radiography and especially MRI you can see the degree of stenos. The surgery consist of removing bone and ligaments compressing the nerve roots and the spinal cord. It can be done with minimal invasive technique which may reduce postoperative morbidity.

Chronic low back pain
If long time training and physical treatment fail to reduce the pain and disability a surgical procedure may be indicated. The intervention consists of removing the degenerated vertebral joints and fixation of the spine. This treatment has a success rate of about 70% in international studies. The chances of pain relief will naturally be higher if the process of degeneration is very localised and limited. The preoperative planning is a careful procedure with specialised radiographic examination and evaluation of nerve root affection and pain. We are using minimal invasive technique with titanium implants to permit early return to normal activity. Cigarett smoking decreases the oxygen content of the tissue and may inhibit the healing process.

Artificial joints
If you have back-pain but only minor leg-pain an arthroplasty can be indicated. In this procedure the degenerated inter-vertebral disc is removed and replaced by an artificial joint. This technique is already used during over 10 years with very good results. Naturally a joint replacement is functionally more attractive than a fusion. Naturally this treatment is not advocated in cases of more pronounced degeneration, as is often the case in persons over 60 years of age, in cases of instability, osteoporosis or gross facet degeneration. In appropriate cases the patient satisfaction is found to approach 80-90% . The procedure is preceded by an extensive examination including radiography and testing. We are using microsurgical technique. In this method the prosthesis is inserted through a small incision in the abdomen while special retractors and micro-instruments protects the abdominal organs. The prosthesis is fixed to the spine and you can begin to sit and walk already the following day. Commonly the hospital stay is well under 6 days and you can begin light work after 8 weeks.

Cervical spine surgery
Neck pain, also with symptoms down the arms is initially helped by physical treatment. If this is not sufficient and especially if the pain is radiating down the hands and fingers you need a neurological examination, plain X-ray pictures and MRI. If the symptoms corresponds well with the findings in the examinations a surgical procedure may be advocated. We are using microsurgical technique since 15 years and fixation which permits early return to normal activity. Already a few hours after the surgery you can sit on the bed and walk. A new entity is Artificial joint replacement as an alternative to long fusion'

Vertebroplasty
Traditional treatment of painful osteoporotic compression fractures has included bed rest, oral or parenteral analgesics, muscle relaxants, external back bracing, and physical therapy. Percutan-
eous vertebroplasty is a technique in which acrylic cement is injected through a needle into a collapsed or weakened vertebra to stabilize the fracture. The surgery is performed in local anaesthesia and some sedatives in the operating room. The surgeon uses fluoroscopic imaging to be able to put in the needles just in the right direction. Candidates must be evaluated to ensure that the pain is truly caused by the compression fracture. When a careful evaluation is performed, the success rate is very high. When experienced physicians with advanced imaging equipment perform the procedure, it is a very safe procedure as well. Cross-sectional imaging, MRI, and CT scanning is required to determine if there is significant spinal canal compromise, to assess the integrity of the posterior vertebral body wall, and to exclude other causes of back pain. The resulting benefits in quality of life and well being are equally high: most patients are able to return to their normal activities within a few days.