What to Know When Considering Sciatica Surgery
Sciatica surgery is almost always considered the last resort for patients suffering from symptoms associated with compression of the sciatic nerve. These symptoms commonly include focal pain at the site of the compression, radiating pain along the length of the nerve, as well as tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness in the lower extremities. In most cases, even the most debilitating symptoms can be managed using a combination of conservative, nonsurgical treatments. However, if chronic symptoms persist after several weeks or months of conservative therapy, surgery might become an option.
Know the Risks and Side Effects
Before consenting to any type of sciatica surgery - whether open back surgery or a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure - it is incumbent upon the patient to thoroughly research the risks and potential side effects. A patient also should seek a second, or even a third, opinion before making the final decision on what type of procedure to undergo (and on who will perform the surgery).
Open Spine Surgery vs. Endoscopic Surgery
There are two main types of spine surgery: open back surgery and minimally invasive procedures performed with endoscopic techniques. In general, open back surgery is highly invasive and carries risks and potential side effects inherent to any major procedure, including:
- Infection
- Internal bleeding
- Bone graft rejection
- Hardware failure
- Nerve damage
In addition, open back sciatica surgery usually requires overnight hospitalization, general anesthesia, excision of a large portion of the spinal anatomy, and a long, arduous period of recuperation. Minimally invasive procedures, on the other hand, are performed on an outpatient basis (no hospitalization), with deep IV sedation and local anesthesia (no general anesthesia) and a relatively small incision. In addition, endoscopic surgery normally requires a much shorter recovery period than open back surgery
Not everyone is a candidate for the minimally invasive option, so it'sextremely important to ask a doctor detailed questions about all of the different surgical procedures available to sciatica patients, and to do some research on your own, too.
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