Cervical About Spinal Surgery (An Overview) Thoracic What is spinal Anatomy of the surgery? Back Many people have back pain. The spine consists of the Back pain can have many backbones (called vertebrae), causes: intervertebral disks and the • Accidents or other major . Lumbar injury. • The vertebrae are the 24 • Normal aging. that are stacked on top of each other from the • Some diseases and bottom of the skull to the conditions. pelvis. The column running • Wear and tear. through the centers of all • Poor body mechanics the vertebrae is called the (poor posture when sitting, spinal canal. standing and lifting). • The lamina is the thin part Your spine is separated into Damage to any part of your of the vertebrae that forms several regions. The curves spine, especially activities that a protective arch over the include: put pressure on your nerves, spinal cord. can cause pain, numbness • In between these bones are • cervical spine and/or weakness. This leads the intervertebral disks, • thoracic spine many people to see a doctor which are soft pads of • lumbar spine who specializes in the back tissue with a spongy center. Two other regions in your and spine. Each disk helps soak up lower spine that consist of Many back problems can any stress put on the back several fused vertebrae. These be eased by conservative as you move. They let the vertebrae do not move: treatment. But if conservative vertebrae – and your spine • sacral (sacrum) treatment has not helped, – move with flexibility. • coccygeal (coccyx) or back surgery might the • The spinal cord is a tailbone answer. collection of nerves which You also have muscles in your starts at the base of the abdomen, hips and legs that brain and runs through the reduce tension in your back and spinal canal. add support to your spine.

4 Overlake Hospital Medical Center Cross-Section

Disc Body

Spinal Cord Transverse Process

Lamina Superior Articular Process

Spinous Process

Types of Spine Surgeries • In a percutaneous Fusion Depending on the location and discectomy, the surgeon A spinal fusion permanently type of your pain or injury, there uses X-ray images and a connects two or more bones are different types of surgeries. video screen to see the in your spine. A small piece of disc. In these cases, Discectomy bone (“bone graft”) is used to doesn’t need to be removed. fuse the vertebrae together. In a discectomy, your surgeon A percutaneous discectomy The graft comes from your own removes a portion of a disc can usually be done without bones or from a donor bone to ease pressure on a nerve staying in the hospital bank. and allow more room for the overnight. nerve to heal. It is usually done The grafts may be set on through a small incision in your the sides of the vertebrae or back. As some people get older, some between the vertebrae to fuse There are different types of of the joints of the spine enlarge the disc space. A spinal fusion discectomies. They vary with causing narrowing of the spinal helps keep your spine stable how the surgeon removes the canal. This is called “spinal and provides extra support. disc and how much is removed: stenosis.” In a laminectomy, In some fusion surgeries, the surgeon removes the part • With a classic discectomy, special rods and screws or of the vertebrae that forms the surgeon enters through “cages” may be used to provide the arch over the spinal cord. your back, removes some or extra stability. In rare cases, This creates more space in all of the lamina (part of the these supports can be removed the spinal canal and relieves vertebra), and then removes after the fusion is complete. the pressure on the nerves. the portion of the disc This surgery is done through Sometimes parts of the disc or causing the problem. an incision in your back. This bone spurs are removed if they type of surgery may take many • A microdiscectomy is are pressing on the nerve as hours. very similar to the classic, well. Depending on the surgery, although the surgeon uses a the incision may be two to six microscope to better see the inches long. operating area.

PATIENT EDUCATION HANDBOOK: spinal surgery 5