Spine Surgery

What is Spine Surgery?

The spine is vulnerable to a variety of ailments that can affect millions of people, causing debilitating pain and disrupting daily life. Although neck and back pain are common conditions, treating spinal disorders can be quite complicated.

While surgery is often the last resort, many patients can be treated non-surgically. Before considering surgery, physical therapy, home exercises, medication, and spinal injections are recommended to alleviate the symptoms. However, if the symptoms persist, surgery may become necessary.

For instance, if a patient suffers from nerve compression and experiences considerable pain in their limbs, surgery may be recommended if non-surgical methods are ineffective. Similarly, if a patient experiences limb weakness due to spinal cord or nerve root compression, surgery may be necessary if non-surgical treatments have not been successful.

If you have been diagnosed with a back problem by your primary care physician or practitioner, it is essential not to delay seeking advice from a spine surgeon if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Persistent pain that spreads to an arm or leg
• Pain that does not improve even after taking anti-inflammatory medications or steroids for more than a week.
• Back pain accompanied by fever, chills, night sweats, and weight loss.
• Loss of movement or weakness in a limb that was previously functioning
• Inability to control the bladder or bowel movements.

Why Should You Choose Prince Court Spine’s Specialists?

Expertise and Specialisation

Prince Court Medical Centre is a prominent institution for spine care, having successfully treated nearly 10,000 patients over the past decade. Our team of spine surgeons comprises highly experienced and skilled specialists who are widely recognised as key opinion leaders in the field of spine surgery. They are respected both nationally and internationally for their contributions to the field, and have a proven track record of achieving high success rates in their surgeries.

Innovative and Effective Treatments

At Prince Court Medical Centre, we place the utmost importance on providing safe and effective spine surgeries, with a particular focus on reducing the risk of post-surgery infections. We adhere to international standards of care and are renowned for our minimally invasive surgeries, which result in smaller incisions, less pain, faster recovery times, reduced tissue damage, and less post-surgery pain and medication. Additionally, we use advanced equipment and technology such as a 4K resolution endoscope and microscope, which provide clear images and enhance safety during spine surgeries.

Our commitment to advancing spine surgery is evident in our dedication to quality improvement and risk mitigation. We continuously evaluate our practices and procedures to ensure that we are providing the highest level of care to our patients. By staying at the forefront of the latest developments in spine surgery, we are able to offer the most innovative and effective treatments available.

Comprehensive Post-Surgery Rehabilitation Programs

We understand that recovery does not end after surgery, and that is why we offer comprehensive post-surgery rehabilitation programmes. Our specialised spine physical therapy not only helps patients manage and cope with chronic pain but also enhances their recovery. We utilise evidence-based techniques to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients, including manual therapy, exercise therapy, and modalities such as ultrasound and electrical stimulation. With our rehabilitation programmes, patients can regain their mobility, strength, and independence to return to their normal activities as soon as possible.

Common Spine Surgical Conditions:

• Herniated or ruptured disks
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Vertebral fractures 
• Degenerative disk disease

Spine Surgical Procedures:

• Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty - involve injecting a glue-like bone cement into vertebrae with compression fractures caused by osteoporosis to harden and strengthen the bone
• Spinal laminectomy/spinal decompression – a procedure involves removing the bony walls of the vertebrae and any bone spurs to open up the spinal column and relieve pressure on nerves due to spinal stenosis
• Discectomy – removal of a herniated disk that presses on a nerve root or spinal cord, and is often done with laminectomy
• Foraminotomy – a procedure involves enlarging the bony hole where a nerve root exits the spinal canal to prevent pressure from bulging disks or thickened joints
• Nucleoplasty or plasma disk decompression – a procedure using a laser to vaporise tissue in a mildly herniated disk to relieve pressure on nerves and reduce the disk's size
• Spinal fusion - removal a spinal disk and fusing adjacent vertebrae using bone grafts or metal devices, resulting in some loss of flexibility and requiring a long recovery period
• Artificial disk replacement - when a severely damaged disk is replaced with a synthetic one to restore height and movement between vertebrae, as an alternative to spinal fusion
• TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion) spine surgery – to stabilise and fuse the lower back vertebra, involving removal of disc material and insertion of a bone graft or implant to promote fusion between vertebrae