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Risks of Spinal Surgery

Every type of surgery presents its own unique risks. Spinal surgery has five very specific risks including anesthesia complications, infection, spinal fluid leaks, nerve damage and paralysis. All of these risks can cause serious complications, so it is important that all patients considering spinal surgery be well informed of the risks of spinal surgery.

  1. Anesthesia Complications

    • Many spinal surgeries are now being performed under local anesthesia, but some are still performed under general anesthesia. General anesthesia is a form of anesthesia where drugs are used to completely put a patient to sleep during their surgery. Though rare, some patients may experience an allergic reaction to the drugs used, which causes them to experience anaphylactic shock (throat closes, heart stops), leading to death. This risk of spinal surgery can also cause lung problems such as pneumonia. Patients with high blood pressure are at a higher risk of developing a blood clot or experiencing a stroke or a heart attack.

    Infection

    • Infection is a risk of spinal surgery. The infection can occur in any level of the surgical wound or on the surface of the skin. Spinal surgeries that include the use of fusion hardware or cadaver bone grafts present a higher infection risk. In some cases, these infections can become severe enough to lead to death.

    Spinal Fluid Leaks

    • When the spine is being operated on, there is a risk of spinal fluid leaks. A leak will occur if a rupture or puncture occurs in the membrane that covers the spinal cord. The majority of spinal fluid leaks can be corrected, if they are noticed, during the surgery, and some may correct themselves if they are not noticed. In some cases, spinal fluid leaks that are not corrected will require an additional surgery to be corrected. If a spinal fluid leak is not corrected, there is an increased risk of spinal fluid infection, headaches or spinal meningitis.

    Nerve Damage

    • The nerves in and around the spinal cord are extremely sensitive, and spinal surgery can cause one or more of these nerves to become damaged during the procedure. Nerve damage can cause a decrease in sensation or movement to the body part affected by the damaged nerve. In rare cases where autonomic nerves are injured, the functioning of the lungs or heart may be adversely affected. In extremely rare cases of autonomic nerve injury during spinal surgery, a patient may die.

    Paralysis

    • A major risk of spinal surgery is paralysis. However, paralysis caused by spinal surgery is rare. The paralysis can occur due to an infection or spinal cord injury caused by the surgery.

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