Description

Spine Surgery

There are a total of 33 vertebrae in the spine in five
major regions; neck (5), back (12), waist (5), sacrum (5) and coccyx (4).
Intervertebral discs are located between two neighboring vertebras in order to
enable our spine bear the load of your body and move our body forward, backward
and both sides.

While the spine has physiological curvatures on the
anterior-posterior plane, it extends straight from the neck to the coccyx on
the vertical plane.

The reduction or increase of these physiological
curvatures and spine’s rotation or curving to sideways brings are accompanied
by many problems.

The goal of the spinal surgery is to relieve the pain
caused by abnormal curvatures and to correct kyphosis and abnormal body posture
to relieve the pain, treat joint problems caused by postural disturbance, and
manage other neurological symptoms that may even involve fainting in advanced
stage diseases.

Abnormalities that may occur in the spine can be
congenital or may be acquired due to causes such as, deformation and improper
body posture while working.

Scoliosis is most common abnormal curvature of the
spine.  Scoliosis refers deformity of the spine.

Scoliosis implies a condition where the spine curves
sideways at dorsal and lumbar level and it occurs more commonly in girls during
rapid increase of body height.

On lateral view of normal human anatomy, some
curvatures can be seen in the spine. For example, dorsal spine curves back,
while cervical and lumbar spines curves front. However, the spine appears
straight on the antero-posterior plane. Scoliosis refers a “S” or “C”
configuration of the spine on this plane accompanied by abnormal rotation.
Shoulder asymmetry, dorsal hump, abnormal body posture and lumbar curvature
asymmetry can be seen in patients with scoliosis due to the abnormal curvature.

Forward bend test is used to diagnose the condition.
If the test yields suspicious results, the person is asked to clench hands,
bend forward and keep hands between knees. Meanwhile, the doctor stands behind
the patient to check whether there is an asymmetry in the dorsal spine. If
asymmetry is identified, scoliosis is considered. However, you will need to see
a spine surgeon who is specialized in this condition.

Shoulder asymmetry, dorsal hump and asymmetry of
lumbar curvature may be the symptoms of scoliosis.

Scoliosis has many underlying causes. For congenital
cases, the problem might arise out of development or separation of vertebrae.
Muscle disorders or nervous diseases, such as cerebral palsy, may play a role
in neuromuscular cases. However, the condition is most commonly idiopathic or
in other words, there is no clear underlying cause. This type is usually
diagnosed in early adolescent girls. Genetic and environmental factors have
been claimed.

Your spine surgeon may take measures to stop the
progression.

There is no clear evidence that lifting heavy objects
or hunching the back leads to scoliosis. However, pains originating from the
spine can be prevented, if you work in good body posture while working with
computer or studying lessons.

Do not worry; scoliosis is a treatable condition. You should
necessarily see a spine surgeon as soon as possible.

There is no sports limitation. Swimming, volleyball,
basketball and pilates are more commonly recommended as they exercise back
muscles and help body balance and control.

Treatment is planned according to angle of curvature,
age of the patient and developmental level of the body. For narrow angles and
early stage cases, your doctor will offer options of corset and exercise along
with regular follow-up. However, efficacy of these treatment methods has not
scientifically been proven. Therefore, the curvature may progress. For advanced
stage curvatures (angle >45°), surgical treatment is recommended. Screws are
driven to vertebra and they are connected to each other using rods. Although
spine surgeries are high-risk operations, the risk can be minimized if
surgeries are carried out by specialized surgeons. Moreover, advanced
technology provides surgeons with substantial means. Now, we use 3D printing
technology in order to drive screws at accurate positions and to prevent damage
to the nearby vital tissues (spinal cord, arteries, lungs etc.) in spinal
surgeries.

Postoperative care varies for each type of scoliosis,
but absorbable stitches are used for idiopathic scoliosis, the most common
type. Patient controlled analgesia is maintained for 2 days to manage the pain.
If no complication occurs, patients are discharged 3 to 4 days after the
surgery in average. Patients allowed taking a bath 10 days later. Patients can
start going to school 3 weeks later in average. Patients usually do not need
corset after the surgery.

All surgeries are performed with micro-surgical
methods under microscopic visualization and recently, endoscopic methods are
used; in this discipline, training and expertise of surgeons are as important
as the availability of technical equipment.

At Medicana Hospitals, Neurosurgeons, Neurologists and
Physiatrists cooperate in the field of Spine Surgery.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Interventions

Micro-surgical treatment of Cervical, Thoracic and
Lumbar Disc Hernia

Surgical Treatment of Stenotic Spinal Canal

Spondylolisthesis Surgery

Fully Endoscopic Management of Pain

Spine Tumors

Spinal Cord Tumors

Surgical Treatment of Head and Spine Traumas

Cerebral Tumor Surgery (Adult and Pediatric)

Endoscopic Pituitary Gland Surgeries

Cerebrovascular Surgery

Hydrocephalus Surgery

Congenital Disorders

It is really important that the postoperative patients
or patients, who are planned to undergo operation, are assessed with respect to
various therapy and follow-up options.

Minimally invasive procedures may shorten hospital
stay. Hospital stay varies depending on the condition of the patient and the
procedure, but spinal surgery patients are usually discharged to home within 2
to 3 days.

It is believed that minimally invasive procedures
cause less postoperative pain than conventional methods, while muscles and soft
tissues are untouched. Recently, modern pain management modalities make
management and relief of pain easier.

Your doctor may recommend physiotherapy to accelerate
recovery and strengthening. This will depend on the procedure and your overall
physical condition. Special exercises will help you to be strong enough to
engage in work and daily life activities.

You will be educated on correct body posture while
sitting, standing and walking.

Time required to start doing daily life activities after the surgery
varies depending on the surgical procedure and your condition. Your doctor will
postoperatively assess you to ensure that recovery proceeds as expected.