Some back surgery involves certain risks. Procedures involving vertebrae fusion can affect the flexibility of your spine and limit your motion. Fortunately, the artificial disk replacement Pittsburgh, PA specialists have adopted the revolutionary approach to preserve motion when back surgery is necessary. Artificial disc replacement helps you overcome back pain, mainly caused by herniated or degenerative discs. However, putting some things in the clear before proceeding with the surgery is important. Talk to your doctor to understand the treatment better. The following tips can enlighten you further about the treatment.
Is Surgery Your Only Option?
Surgery should be the last resort of treatment. Therefore, you must ensure that there is no way to manage your symptoms other than artificial disc replacement. Your doctor will help you explore your options and agree if you can proceed to surgery. The two main reasons for artificial disc replacement surgery are degenerative disc disease and disc herniation. Encountering a traumatic injury, arthritis, collagen reduction, and dehydration within your disc can cause disc degeneration. On the other side, herniation can be caused by disc degeneration, which causes the disc’s content to leak and pressure your nerves.
Compare the Benefits of Artificial Disc Replacement and Fusion
Fusion and artificial disc replacement are the two main back surgery options to correct disc herniating or degeneration. Fusion involves removing and replacing the affected disc using a bone graft, while artificial disc replacement uses synthetic material. Both options have pros and cons, and you better ensure that artificial disc replacement is the most suitable. Artificial disc replacement has advantages over fusion, especially in preserving spinal motion. Surgery with fusion has some risks, like a failure of the grafts to heal properly, while most complications from artificial disc replacement are typical of any other back surgery.
Evaluate Your Provider’s Qualifications
Any form of surgery requires expertise as complications can be severe. Adding that artificial disc replacement is a complicated procedure, your provider should be well-skilled with extensive experience. Talk to your provider, assess their qualifications, and ask about their previous procedures. Although most back surgeons can perform fusion, artificial disc replacement is not for everyone. Plus, you must seek out someone with a better understanding of both procedures to help you choose between the two.
Know How Recovery Will Look Like
The hope is to return to your quality of life after the surgery. Therefore, you must ensure you are ready to return to life after artificial disc replacement. Consult your doctor before the treatment to understand what you can expect. Make prior arrangements before surgery to ensure you worry less after surgery. Plus, you might not be able to complete some tasks after surgery. Therefore, you better prepare adequately, owing to the fact that you might need several weeks for recovery. You can ask someone to come over and help you throughout the recovery period.
Understand the Type of Anesthesia to be Used
The artificial disc replacement is often performed under general anesthesia. However, not everyone can tolerate the anesthesia, and it would be good to evaluate options before settling for the surgery. The anesthesia can pose too great risks depending on one’s health, making one not eligible for the treatment.
The artificial disc replacement specialists at Steep City Spine can help you understand what you can gain from the treatment. Schedule a consultation appointment today to explore your options and know what you can expect. Make a call or use the online tool for your appointment.