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The pre-operative visit A week or two before your operation, your surgeon or the hospital will call you to come in for a pre-operative visit. You’ll meet with various members of the care team who will assess your general health, help you prepare for surgery, discuss your... Read More →

Emotional support for people having back surgery is very important. You may be worried about whether you’ve made the right decision. You may be fearful about having general anaesthetic and undergoing an invasive procedure. You may be anxious about how painful the recovery will... Read More →

Although this doesn’t happen often, some patients do develop increased back or leg pain after their operations. This could be due to some obvious complication, which should be discussed with your surgeon. Or it could be due to your body’s unique response to the added pain and... Read More →

Although most patients notice improvement fairly soon, don’t be too hasty in deciding that your surgery has failed. Some people just recover more slowly than others. As long as the operation hasn’t increased your pre-operative symptoms, you may still be on the right track. But... Read More →

Full recovery from back surgery doesn’t necessarily mean total pain relief. One of the biggest obstacles to patient satisfaction after an operation is unrealistic expectations. Because the pain can arise from more than one source and because the surgery can only make things... Read More →

As you recover, you may feel occasional twinges of your pre-operative symptoms, but these should be temporary. Here are some general guidelines aimed at helping you understand what to expect as you recover from one of the spinal operations described here (see Three Common Back... Read More →

The success of any surgical procedure depends on a number of factors. Above all, it’s important to have realistic expectations about what can and can’t be accomplished in your own case. Back surgery won’t be “successful” if there’s a large gap between what the patient wants and... Read More →

Recovery time from back surgery differs between individuals and depends on the nature and extent of the surgery. If you’re having a simple discotomy or a small decompression, you should be getting around by the time you leave hospital. You may only need a little help with lifting... Read More →

After surgery you’ll be encouraged to be up and walking around as soon as possible. How soon depends on the advice and instructions from your surgeon and other members of the care team. Most people who understand what’s expected and who can manage their post-operative pain, will... Read More →

Probably not. Very few spinal procedures prevent will you from doing most things for yourself during the recovery period. If your surgery is out of the ordinary, you may need extra, help but that’s something you will know well in advance after talking with your surgeon and... Read More →