Treatment / Back Surgery

Arizona neurosurgeon Dr. Richard V. Chua uses Mazor X robotic surgical assistant to assist with spine surgeries.

COVID-19 has forced many elective back and spine surgeries to be postponed to keep essential workers in hospitals available for coronavirus patients. We asked surgeons and health care professions for their best advice for patients caught in the holding pattern.

With the COVID-19 situation, even your back surgery may be classified as a non-essential procedure. Find out what you should do if your surgery is postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Informed consent is the process by which doctors disclose information to patients regarding surgical procedures to enable them to decide whether or not they wish to have a particular treatment or test done. This includes explaining the risks, benefits and other details of the procedure.

Psychological evaluations before spine surgery are becoming more common. Dr. Andrew Block, clinical health psychologist at Texas Back Institute, discusses why they are important for patients and surgeons.

If your back surgeon recommends surgery as your best treatment option, here are five questions you can ask to make sure you can make a clear decision.

Can excess weight result in worse outcomes following spine surgery? A study published in The Spine Journal in July 2018 points to "yes."

In a study, 20% of patients showed signs of PTSD one year after spinal fusion surgery. Can talking to your doctor before surgery help, or is there a better way?

Despite the name, failed back surgery syndrome is not so much a syndrome but is a general term that refers to an unsuccessful back surgery that brings along chronic back pain instead of relief.

Dr. Francis Gamache Jr., MD, of the Hospital for Special Surgery conducted a 14-month study involving 240 patients with neck and back conditions seeking a second opinion on a spine problem that may require surgery. Of that number, “155 (65 percent) came for a second, third, or fourth surgical opinion following an earlier opinion from a surgeon who recommended an operation.” If you’re unclear as to what constitutes a second opinion, learn what they are and how to as for them in order to make an informed health decision before spine surgery.