Spinal surgery : Specialists

What is spinal surgery?

This is a broad field of surgery which includes the back and spine. The back is prone to a wide range of problems and back pain alone is one of the common complaints seen by GP’s in the UK.

Many things can go wrong with the back and spine but there is a wide range of treatment available to deal with these.

What is a spinal surgeon?

This is an orthopaedic surgeon who has chosen to specialise in the field of spinal surgery.

What does a spinal surgeon do?

He or she will perform surgery on a range of back and spine disorders which includes:

• Scoliosis
• Back pain (upper and lower back)
• Sciatica
• Fracture
• Spinal injury e.g. accident
• Lumbar disc problem
• Degenerative disc complaint

The spine is a complex area of the human body which contains a network of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and nerves which all have the capacity to go wrong. They also have the ability to produce pain which in many cases is extremely intense.

In many situations surgery will help and includes the following procedures:

• Discectomy (surgery to treat a slipped disc)
• Spinal fusion (joining together of two or more vertebrae)
• Spinal decompression (relieve the pressure of trapped nerves in the spine)
• Cervical disc surgery