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Spine surgery patient information
What to Expect Before and After Surgery
Before Surgery

There are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for spinal surgery. Eating well-balanced, nutritional meals in the weeks before surgery will help your body as it heals. If you smoke, quitting in the weeks before surgery is also helpful.
Your doctor will tell you any other things you need to know that will help you prepare for surgery.
After Surgery Spinal Fusion

Recovery from spinal fusion surgery happens in stages as your body heals. The first stage of recovery involves the healing of the incision and soft tissues. This will happen over the first few weeks. Movement, such as walking, does a lot to help with healing. You can expect to be doing some walking as soon as the day after surgery, and you will be expected to walk every day after that. Your doctor may also have you go to physical or occupational therapy for gentle exercise in the early weeks of recovery.

Your doctor will monitor and evaluate the bone fusion throughout your recovery. This will mean visits to the doctor's office, where x-rays will be taken to see how the bone is fusing. Your doctor will tell you what things you can do to help your recovery.

It's common to have pain in both your back and your hip for a period of time after surgery. Your doctor will be able to help you manage the pain with medication. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you are having pain that is more than you were told to expect.
Most people can return to work and to many of their daily activities within six weeks of surgery.

Complete fusion takes months, and recovery is different for each patient. Depending on how many levels of your spine are fused, you may notice some changes in the flexibility of your back. Your doctor will tell you what you can expect during your recovery.

Spinal fusion surgery using a pedicle screw system is designed to stabilise your spine, giving you the ability to move more easily and with less pain. For most people, spinal fusion surgery offers significant relief and improved ability to move and function in their daily lives.
This page is meant to help you understand spinal fusion surgery and pedicle screw systems so you can work with your doctor to make the treatment decision that is right for you. If you have any questions, please talk to your doctor.
After Surgery Dynesys Dynamic Stabilisation
It may take several weeks to fully recover from pain resulting from the surgery. However, you may feel almost immediate relief of any leg pain. Back pain should diminish over time now that the vertebrae have been stabilised and nerves are no longer compressed. In most cases, a short hospital stay is required to ensure you adjust to oral pain medication and can move without any problems. Most patients return home within a few days.
Following your surgery, your doctor will prescribe rehabilitation and follow-up visits as needed. It's important to follow your physician's instructions carefully to help ensure a full and quick recovery.
Symptoms To Watch For After Surgery
As your doctor will explain, any surgery involves risk. After surgery, if you have any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor:
·
Signs of infection (fever, chills, redness around the incision, increased pain, a feeling of pressure in the spine)
·
Bleeding or excessive drainage from the incision
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Sudden pain, or a significant increase in your pain level
·
Loss of feeling in your hands or feet
·
Increased or ongoing shortness of breath
Are complications possible?
Surgery always involves some risk. General surgical complications may include:
·
reactions to anesthesia
·
heart attack
·
infection
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blood vessel damage/bleeding
·
bruise (hematoma)
·
pneumonia
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blood clots
·
wound closure problems
·
death
Potential risks associated with the implantation of the Dynesys System are similar to those associated with any spinal fusion procedure and those risks specific to the implantation of other pedicle-screw systems. They may include:
·
tear in the outer lining of the spinal cord which may result in spinal fluid leakage
·
temporary decreased or absent intestinal function
·
implant migration
·
leg pain
·
nerve complications
·
fractured sacrum
Please consult with your surgeon for a complete list of all warnings and precautions.
The safety and effectiveness of the Dynesys System has not been established for indications beyond those stated here -- including spinal stabilisation without fusion.
How can I improve my chances of a good outcome?
It's well known that smokers experience lower surgery success rates than non-smokers. If you smoke, please consider stopping as far in advance of surgery as possible. In addition, poor nutrition impacts your body's ability to heal itself. Eat well-balanced, nutritional meals as far in advance of surgery as possible.
What if I have more questions?
This web site is provided to give you information about your treatment options, but it is not intended to replace professional medical care or provide medical advice. If you have any further questions or need additional information about the Dynesys System or spinal fusion using a Pedicle Screw System, please call or see your doctor, who is the only one qualified to diagnose and treat your condition.

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