You would get a flow of emotions if you just left the doctor’s office with a verdict of a spinal surgery. If you are in pain, visiting a spine specialist would be obvious. You may have fear about the process, the recovery and confusion on the next steps. Before you become more confused and fearful, give yourself a little time and learn about your conditions, treatment options and everything more.

• The First Is Pain Cause

Finding the right cause of the pain is not the same with knowing what is anatomically wrong with the spine or the back. Take an example. You might have herniated disc according to an MRI scan. But a herniated disc surgery would not help you to find the pain relieving help. There is a catch. The spine specialist should be capable of diagnosing the right cause of the pain. It has been found that one of the most common reasons of failed back surgery that is pain continuation after surgery is improper diagnosis.

• Referral

Ask the physician with whom you are currently dealing with about a good spine surgeon. There is barely any proved way for evaluating and comparing the competencies of a surgeon and you only have to rely on the words of mouth.

• Preparation

It is tough to describe the intensity, type or situation of the pain when you are in it. But try to be as much as possible complete, accurate and concise while describing the pain. This is indeed an intimidating experience. You do your research to help yourself. Discuss the medical history with the doctor, pain details and the expectations.

• Traditional Spine Surgery and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

The traditional surgery includes a complete spine exposure. But in the minimally invasive spine surgery there is less anatomical exposure. It means fast recovery within less given time. In this kind of surgery, surgeons often include additional aids like intraoperative spinal navigation. It gives the visibility a boost within limited exposure.

One thing is the same between the two types of surgery. That is the goal of spinal pain relief for long-term. Moreover, the patients need a long-term solution. The surgery must keep degeneration process at halt. The process must include less blood loss, short stay term in hospitals, low infection possibility and faster healing. The minimally invasive surgeries have typically faster recovery rates than the traditional one. But everyone might not be a candidate of spine surgery. The spine specialist must diagnose rightly to find the best suitable treatment way.

See us at Oklahoma Pain Treatment Centers for treating your spinal conditions. For other spine, back and neck problem, visit us.

**Disclaimer: This blog post does not establish terms of a doctor-patient relationship and is not intended to be taken as a doctor's advice.