Cervical Spine Surgery Is An Option
Cervical spine surgery is performed when the condition of the spine of the patient is really serious and all other non-surgical methods have failed to alleviate the pain. In order to have better understanding of the spine surgery, it is important to know the anatomy of the spine. The spine is made up of vertebrae. Beginning from the top, there are 7 cervical vertebrae i.e. C1 to C7. The seventh one is then joined to the first vertebra of the thoracic region. These are 12 in number i.e. T1 to T12, run along our back and gives a place for the ribs to get attach. There are 5 lumbar vertebrae in the lower inward curve of our back, i.e. L1 to L5. They are followed by a set of 5 combined vertebrae called sacrum, located in between the hip bones. At the end, there is a tailbone or coccyx which is again a set of combined vertebrae. The vertebrae of a spine are joined with the help of facet joints. The disks, the shock absorbing agents for the spine, are present in the middle of each vertebra. The spinal cord is present in the centre of the spine and nerves branch out at each of the vertebrae.
There is a great amount of water in the centre, called nucleus pulpous, of each vertebra. It acts as cushions for them. With age or due to some injury, these vertebrae experience enormous pressure. As a result, the outer covering of nucleus pulpous develops cracks and the water present in between starts drying gradually. This is how spine problems begin. Further loss of water and increased pressure leads to degeneration of the spine. The space between the vertebrae decreases and the facet joints get closer. As a result, the inner pulpous gets pressed with the outer wall and bulge out and cause severe pain in the affected area. If the cervical area is affected, it is known as cervical stenosis. In order to provide relief from the severe pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in neck, arms and shoulders, the surgeon performs the cervical surgery. He removes a disc or a bone from the spine and fuses the vertebrae jointly by grafting the bone from either the front or the back of the spine. The bone grafting is done by either taking a bone from the patient's body or taking it from outside like from a bone bank. Other materials like screws, metal plates, or wires are also used to promote stability of the spine. It is also known as cervical spine fusion surgery. After the surgery the spine starts performing its functions normally and the pain is alleviated. Cervical spine surgeries are performed to cure the problems created by degeneration of the spine or any deformity of the spine. Many complications are attached to the traditional ways of surgery. With advancement in the medical technology, new surgical techniques are applied that are less risky and more successful. Laser spine surgery or laser back surgery is one of these techniques. It is performed by inserting a small hollow tube in the incision that is just 3 mm wide on the surface. It is connected with the tiny cameras and projects the internal condition of the body on a TV placed in the operating room and the surgeons perform the surgery through this whole. They may put some more tiny incisions to pass small surgical instruments. But they are recovered easily. There is less loss of blood and it is less perilous. The patient needs not to stay for long in the hospital after the surgery. This minimal invasive spine surgery is a gift of modern technology. These days this method is preferred to perform any kind of thoracic spine surgery, herniated disc surgery, cervical stenosis surgery, etc. it is also known as new back surgery. |