Sunday, April 7, 2013

The Top Points to Discuss with Your Surgeon

By George E Lawrence


It is a fact that surgery makes people feel nervous. In case you have to undergo a spinal surgery, you need to know more about the procedure involved to decrease your anxiety. There are few points that you must discuss with your spine surgeon prior to the surgery.

You have to ask him as to the nature of surgery he has decided for you. There are several types of spinal surgery. You can request your surgeon to explain and describe in detail the procedure to be done during the course of the surgery. If you are going in for a discectomy, then you should know the reason behind the removal of the disc. In the other spinal surgeries, you should find out the exact region in the spinal column where the surgery will be done. You need to know whether any of the spinal instrumentations like the screws, plates, cages will be used to give stability to the spine.

Description of the Surgery

Your spine surgeon can draw the procedure and show you or supply you written information or refer you other resources like videos, websites. This will enable you to understand the procedure well. You ought to be fully aware as to why you need that particular surgery. Whether the procedure will relieve pain, minimize the symptoms and bring about an improvement in function.

The benefits of surgery must be known to you. After surgery you will be able to return to work pain free. You must also ask surgeon about the other things like the duration of the effect of the surgery and if you might need the operation again later on. The surgical risks must also be known to you. All the effects of excess of excess bleeding or injury or anesthesia must be well known to you. Information about the complication and the side effects and how to cure them must also be known to you. If you change your mind about the surgery you must know it result also.

Post-surgery recovery and management

You must discuss with your surgeon your recovery time post the surgery. Ask him when you can resume your normal activities. You should also be aware of the cost of the operation.

What if you need a second opinion and if the insurance company will pay for it?

Post-surgery period many surgeon suggest physical therapy. About it you must discuss with the surgeon regarding the nature and duration. It will be a combination of heat and ice therapies. Moreover the therapies will include activities like stretching, gentle massage and light exercise which helps in curing the pain and increase the strength and the movement of the muscle. Depending on your needs the therapies will be suggested by the therapist. Therefore it is very essential that you discuss in details the pros and cons of the whole procedure both before and after the surgery. Every detail of the procedure must be known to you.




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