how long is the recovery time for spine surgery

After deciding to undergo surgery for a chronic condition such as back pain, patients often need to plan the surgery around their work schedule and other life events. Being aware of the recovery time and the expected course of events helps to simplify choosing a date for your surgery.

For surgeries which are not urgent, patients are encouraged to plan their procedure around important work deadlines, life events, and holidays. This allows you to recover with less stress than otherwise. Furthermore, choosing a procedure with as little downtime as possible allows you to return to normal life sooner, and also makes it more feasible to schedule your procedure sooner than later.

Recovery Time by Surgery Type

When it comes to returning to work as quickly as possible, not all types of back surgery are created equal.

With traditional spine surgery, recovery occurs as follows:

• The patient slowly comes out from under general anesthesia over the course of several hours
• There is a 4-5 day hospital stay, during which time intensive wound care and pain management is needed
• In 6-8 weeks, patients who do not have physically strenuous jobs can return to work
• In the next several months, full recovery occurs and patients with physically strenuous jobs or hobbies can return to their normal lives
• During the first few weeks of the recovery process, prescription pain medicine is often needed, and the risk of infection is relatively high
  

Laser spine surgery eliminates much of this lengthy, intensive process process:

• Surgery requires only local anesthesia, so patients can return home the same day with no hospital stay
• The next day, most patients can start physical therapy
• In about a week, patients who do not have physically demanding jobs can return to work
• In 6 weeks, the patient is fully recovered; at this point, patients with very physical jobs can return to work, and normal exercise routines can be resumed
• During the recovery process, there is no need to take prescription pain medication, and wound care is less intensive, making the process easier

Laser spine surgery, then, results in a recovery time only a fraction of the length of that for open back surgery. In addition, the risk of certain side effects is lower, especially the risk of infection and the risk of side effects from prescription pain medication.

Choosing the Right Surgery for You

While the recovery time for laser back surgery is greatly reduced as compared to traditional methods, it is not an option for all patients. Most routine spine conditions can now be treated with laser spine surgery, but some rare and serious conditions require more invasive surgery. On the other hand, some people with chronic back pain can be treated without resorting to surgery at all.

In general, surgery is a strong option for people with chronic back pain or related conditions, who have not responded to non-surgical treatment. Non-surgical options include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections, and chiropractic treatment. In the event that these treatments do not work, laser surgery can be used to treat conditions such as sciatica, bulging discs, stenosis, and bone spurs. It can be applied to all areas of the spine (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar).

While no surgery is without downtime, back surgery patients generally find that the time away from work is worthwhile. After recovering fully, issues such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety ease. Patients are more able to care for their bodies, homes, and families. Work productivity increases, which in time makes up for the time away. Furthermore, choosing a minimally invasive procedure such as laser spine surgery allows you to return to work as soon as possible.

To schedule a consultation about whether laser spine surgery is right for you, please call the Datta Endoscopic Back Surgery and Pain Center at 212-430-0312.