Spinal Surgery

Spinal surgery is a surgical treatment to manage a range of problems associated with your spine.  It diagnoses and treats spinal disorders and conditions to provide pain relief, improve functionality, and avoid permanent impairment.

Spinal surgery is used to treat:

• Herniated or ruptured discs – where one or more of the discs that cushion your spine bones are damaged.
• Spinal stenosis – is a narrowing of your spinal column that puts pressure on your spinal cord and nerves.
• Spondylolisthesis - where one or more bones in your spine slip out of place.
• Vertebral fractures - caused by osteoporosis or injury to your spinal bones.
• Degenerative disc disease or spinal disc damage - can happen as you get older.

Neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons who specialise in spinal surgery perform back surgery.

Back surgery is considered when conservative treatments have not worked and your pain remains persistent and is impacting the quality of your life. It involves decompressing, moving, fixing, and replacing vertebral structures to relieve back pain.

There is some debate as to which is the most common spine surgery. Often the most frequently performed spinal surgeries are carried out together such as spinal decompression and fusion and microdiscectomy with lumbar decompression.

The three most common spine surgeries are:

• Discectomy - removes a disk when it has herniated and is pressing on a nerve root or your spinal cord. Your disc may be replaced with an artificial disc to help preserve your flexibility. This procedure is often performed by the minimally invasive technique called microdiscectomy. Laminectomy and discectomy are frequently performed together.
• Laminectomy - is also called spinal decompression. It is performed if you have spinal stenosis and involves removing part of your vertebral bone to open up your spinal column and relieve pressure on your nerves. Bone spurs, ligaments, or a section of the bone from the spine may be removed. If you have significant bone removal in a laminectomy, your spine may be destabilised and require spinal fusion.
• Spinal fusion - permanently joins two or more vertebral bones in your spine to prevent unwanted movement from occurring. When the vertebrae are fused, the joint cannot move. This adds stability and can alleviate pain caused by vertebrae grinding together or moving and causing nerve pinching. It is typically done in small groups of vertebrae to ensure that you are still able to bend and move flexibly with few limitations.

Additional spinal surgeries include: vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, foraminotomy, disc replacement, and interlaminar implant.

The cost of a spinal surgery with Ramsay Health Care will depend on your spinal condition or injury, your spinal procedure, the diagnostic tests required, and your chosen Ramsay hospital.

Following your consultation with a spinal surgeon, you will receive a written cost quote. This quotation is guaranteed for 60 days and includes unlimited aftercare. 

Ramsay is recognised by all major medical insurers. Most schemes cover spinal surgery. We advise you to obtain written authorisation from your medical insurance provider before your procedure.

We have a number of finance options to pay for your spinal surgery. These include: interest-free finance with no deposit and monthly instalments at 0% interest, a one-off pre-agreed payment for All-inclusive Total Care that comes with unlimited aftercare, and pay-as-you-go that offers flexible funding to pay as and when costs arise.

The recovery process after a spinal surgery will depend on the exact surgery you have, the severity of your back condition, your pre-surgery fitness level, and your age. You should follow your spinal surgeon’s advice for recovery.

Recovery after a discectomy is generally shorter than a laminectomy or fusion surgery.

Full recovery after a microdiscectomy can take up to six weeks. Most people leave the hospital the same day or within 24 hours. A physiotherapist will give you advice on exercises to improve the strength and flexibility of the muscles around your spine. Exercising your spine will help you to recover sooner. You can expect to be off work for a week or two or longer if your job involves heavy lifting.

After a laminectomy or spinal fusion, you can go home after about one to four days. A physiotherapist will work with you to help you safely regain strength and movement. Most people go back to work after four to eight weeks, providing their job isn't too strenuous. If you have a strenuous job or it has lots of driving, you may need to stay off work for three to six months.

We will arrange a follow-up appointment with your spinal surgeon to see how you are getting on after your surgery.