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Spondylolisthesis Surgery
Spondylolisthesis surgery is a drastic and invasive option for advanced vertebral slippage conditions.
Spondylolisthesis
is a condition with multiple possible causes, but similar symptomatic profiles. While most varieties of the condition are not problematic, some can cause moderate pain and related symptoms and others can create truly nightmarish cases of suffering and even
spinal instability.
It is in these cases that
back surgery
is usually prescribed as the best or only treatment modality available.
Spondylolisthesis Surgery Procedure
Surgical correction of severely
slipped vertebrae
is a last resort treatment option. The operations are very invasive and can create many associated health problems. The most common procedure used is one of the many varieties of
spinal fusion.
Fusion is an operation where the vertebrae are joined together using bone grafts and surgical hardware such as cages, screws, pins and plates. In severe cases of spondylolisthesis, this hardware is often left attached to the operated
vertebrae
permanently, as a means of reinforcing the fusion procedure. Fusion is a traumatic operation to endure and can cause degenerative conditions to develop in other surrounding vertebral levels. Spinal fusion should only be considered if there are truly severe symptoms and no other conservative
back pain treatment
options available. If a fusion procedure is warranted, make sure to find a specialist who can insure the best results possible for your particular condition.
Unnecessary Spondylolisthesis Surgery
Many patients with mild to moderate spondylolisthesis have endured unnecessary back surgery to correct an asymptomatic variety of the condition. Mild to moderate cases rarely cause pain or related symptoms and often act as a convincing
back pain scapegoat
on which to blame pain from a completely different causation. Before undergoing any surgical procedure for your
unresolved back pain
caused by spondylolisthesis, try
knowledge therapy
to eliminate the chances that your pain is due to a psycho-emotional source, rather than a anatomical cause. In addition, be sure to exhaust every possible conservative therapy modality prior to undertaking any invasive treatment option.
Recommendation on Spondylolisthesis Surgery
While I am usually very anti-surgery, I do recognize that many patients have advanced forms of this condition which require some drastic help. Surgery is truly needed in many of these severe vertebral misalignment conditions. Patients with more common and less severe conditions should not even be considering surgery except in extremely rare instances of obvious
pinched nerve
or
cauda equina syndrome
conditions. Pain due to mild or moderate spondylolisthesis is often
misdiagnosed
and is actually coming from some other physical or more commonly, psychological source. Your doctor is not likely to inform you of the epidemic proportion of
psychosomatic pain syndromes,
so it is knowledge that you must learn for yourself. Do everything possible to insure that if you do require surgery, at least it will result in a pain free condition. There is truly nothing worse than undergoing an extremely invasive surgical vertebral correction only to have continuing or even exacerbated postoperative pain…
Spondylolisthesis Surgery to Back Pain Home
10/29/07 Revised 10/30/09
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