If back pain is preventing you from living your life to the full we can help. More than four out of five of us will suffer from chronic back pain at some point in our lives, our aim at Woodthorpe Hospital is to provide you fast and convenient appointments for the diagnosis and treatment of your spine or neck problem so you can get back moving and doing the things you love again.
Woodthorpe Hospital offers a wide range of options for back and neck pain, from physiotherapy, pain management to complex spinal and surgery.
Your care will be led by our specialist spinal or orthopaedic consultants, supported by orthopaedic nursing staff, consultant radiologists and chartered physiotherapists.
Back and neck pain is common and there are many reasons why it occurs. It might be that you’ve lifted something incorrectly, bent awkwardly, you’ve poor posture, you’re suffering from injury (whiplash, a fracture), or you may have a disease or age related condition (arthritis, degeneration). Most often back and neck pain will disappear on its own but sometimes it continues for six weeks or more. This is known as chronic back or neck pain and it’s important to see a doctor if this is the case. They will assess your pain and offer advice on how to manage your pain. Your lifestyle may be contributing to your pain and by making changes your pain could be relieved.
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:
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:
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.
Ganglion removal surgery is performed to surgically cut away a ganglion cyst. It aims to relieve pain, improve joint function and cosmetically enhance the ganglion area.
Dupuytrens Fasciectomy is surgery to remove thickened, scar-like tissue from under the skin of the fingers and palm of the hand, responsible for causing Dupuytren’s contracture. The goal is to release the tight bands of tissue, allowing the affected fingers to regain their normal range of motion.
An arthroscopy allows your surgeon to see inside your knee using a camera inserted through small cuts in the skin.
Patient Mr L. Gaskin incredibly impressed with care and treatment he received at Woodthorpe Hospital following a double hernia repair performed by Mr Ian Beckingham, General Surgeon.
We speak to Louise Walker, Operations Manager at Woodthorpe Hospital about her role within the hospital, what attracted her to come and work for us and the culture for others thinking about joining Woodthorpe Hospital.
The Surgicube equipment provides an ultra-clean airflow across the operating surface and represents the first investment of this kind in Ramsay UK hospitals.