Cervical spine fusion may sound scary if you don’t know very much about the procedure, but it’s actually a routine surgery used to treat everything from injury to chronic back pain. There are select bones in your neck that are known as the cervical spine, and this surgery essentially fuses them together. if you live in Fort Worth and are looking to understand more about the procedure then it’s time to find out the basics of the surgery. Learn more about why it’s done, how it’s done, and what patients can expect afterward.
Why It’s Performed
Cervical spine fusion in Fort Worth is generally done either as a follow-up procedure or as a response to an injury. It may also be done if the vertebrae in the body are not properly aligned. If the bones in the neck are in any way destabilized, it opens a person up to the possibility of paralysis. By fusing the bones together, doctors are able to reduce the risk of fractures that could ultimately result in a life-changing condition. it may be also used as a way to help those with common back problems, such as a herniated disc.
How It’s Done
Surgeons actually have a few methods they can choose from when it comes to fusing together the cervical spine. They may take bone from other parts of a person’s body in order to form the bridge that connects the different vertebrae in the neck. This bone may either come from the patient or from a compatible donor. Regardless of where the bone is obtained, the bone is supposed to coax the patient’s body into making new bone. Surgeons may also use artificial means to complete the surgery, such as metal implants, to keep the vertebrae together. Surgeons may enter the neck either from the front or the back, depending on the method the surgeon chooses.
Doctors may also use metal plates to join any of the nearby vertebrae. These plates are inserted directly into the bone to have the best possible chance of alignment and protection. Sometimes the surgeon may even remove a vertebra or a spinal disc entirely before the spine or adjacent vertebrae are fused together. Regardless of which procedure is chosen, it’s meant to encourage the body to supplement the surgery with its own defenses by growing its own healthy bones.
After Effects
Patients can expect to be in the hospital for a few days, depending on how they respond to the surgery (recovery times vary.) After cervical spine fusion in Fort Worth, you may also be required to wear a neck brace during the recovery stage.
