Bone Spur Surgery Basics

Bone spur surgery in the spine is generally used only as the last resort in alleviating the pain, stiffness, tingling, muscle weakness, and muscle spasms that just won't seem to go away. It is almost always reserved for about five to ten percent of patients who have found insufficient relief after several weeks or months of nonsurgical treatments. And, except for an exceptionally rare case in which a bone spur gives rise to a life-threatening condition, surgery is a procedure elected by the patient to improve quality of life.

Open Spine Surgery

Open spine surgery for a bulging disc is not pleasant to contemplate. A hospital operating room is typically the setting for open surgery, and patients are completely sedated with general anesthesia. A large incision is made into the back, neck, or abdomen, depending on the location of the bone spur. From there, excess bone material or other problematic spinal anatomical components may be removed to relieve spinal cord or nerve root impingement. After surgery, patients must undergo a costly overnight hospital stay and endure a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation process.

Endoscopic Surgical Treatment

An increasingly popular alternative to open surgery for a bulging disc is endoscopic surgery. These minimally invasive procedures are guided by a tiny camera that is connected to a computer monitor for viewing in the operating room. The camera is inserted into the body via an incision no longer than an inch in length. In addition, a laser and other miniscule surgical instruments are inserted into the neck or back through a small tube that has been fed into the incision, to carry out the procedure. Upon completion, patients are free to go home, barring a post-operative appointment the following day. And, the recovery period after endoscopic surgery is significantly shorter than that of open surgery.