What Are the Dangers of Spinal Surgery?

Every surgical procedure offers some risk to a patient, such as an adverse reaction to anesthesia, infection or bleeding. Other dangers are more specific to spinal surgery.

Spinal Surgery

• Spinal surgery can be performed anywhere along the length of your spine. It is usually performed to treat a problem with intervertebral discs.

Nerve Damage

• When you undergo spinal surgery, there is a danger that your spinal cord will be damaged. This can lead to troubles ranging from sexual dysfunction to paralysis.

Pain

• If you undergo spinal surgery to relieve pain, there is a risk that the surgery will not help. It could make the pain worse or lead to future chronic pain.

Other Dangers

• Other dangers of spinal surgery include the risks of developing blood clots and recurrent herniated discs. Surgery can put stress on parts of the spine not involved in the surgery, leading to problems in those areas later on.

Considerations

• Because spinal surgery occurs so close to your spinal cord, it is important to contact your doctor about any problems that develop during recovery.