Patient Checklist

Most commonly, doctors will advise at least 2 to 5 months of conservative treatment before considering spine surgery for patients without symptoms of pain in their legs.  For patients who are not finding relief through conservative treatments, they can have diagnostic testing done with CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to further determine the causes of the symptoms and the severity of the problem. 

What patients need to realize is that their imaging results aren't a conclusion in their own right.  They must be evaluated in accordance with a medical history to know if any abnormal imaging results can be connected with their symptoms to understand the cause of their pain.

Keep in mind that conventional open back surgery should not always be your only option, since minimally invasive laser surgery may be a better option to provide complete relief from your pain.  You have a choice, so you must act in your best interest by getting complete information about how each surgical method can be applied to your condition.  

Your surgeon's job is to provide you with enough information to comfortably help you make the decision of whether surgery is right for you.  If your surgeon can answer these questions below, it will be very helpful for you in making your decision.   Enter you information here to inquire with these questions to the most successful minimally invasive spine surgeons.

+ How many surgeries like this did you perform last year, and what were the results?

+ Are the results (data) available to patients?

+ Do you have a sense of how your patients who choose surgery do vs. those who choose not to have surgery?

+ How large will the incision need to be and are you able to perform minimally invasive laser surgery which allows for a small incision and minimal damage to healthy tissue?

+ What makes you think that surgery is the right course of action?

+ Will anything bad happen if I don't have surgery?

+ May I talk to one of your patients who underwent a similar operation about a year ago?
 
+ What is the recovery time and possible complications for this particular surgery?

Another thing that patients should consider before undergoing spine surgery is that two surgeons may advise different treatment options.  Surgeons have different levels of experiences with performing different types of back surgeries.  Nonetheless, you should get a second or third opinion in order to better understand your options and remember it is totally up to you whether or not you choose to have surgery.