As with any type of surgery, there are several complication risks associated with spinal cord surgery. Surgical procedures that are carried out near your spine can be life-threatening. These complications may involve excruciating pain and impairment, sparking the need for another surgery. Before signing up for a spinal surgical treatment, you should discuss with your medical doctor the possible complications and seek urgent orthopedic care. Here are a few risks associated with spinal surgery procedures.
- Thrombosis
Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) occurs when blood clots inside the veins in your legs. It is one of the most common problems arising from spinal surgical procedures and many others. Blood clots in the more prominent veins of your calf can extend to those in your thighs and pelvis. DTV risks are much prevalent after surgery in the pelvis and lower extremities.
This is because post-surgery, your body typically tries to stop bleeding, which means your body’s clotting mechanism becomes hyperactive around that period. Besides, any damage to blood vessels in the surrounding area can further activate the clotting mechanism. When blood stays for too long in one spot, it starts to clot. Doctors take clotting seriously: clots in the veins of your legs can interrupt the flow of blood from your legs to your brain, leading to swelling, pains, and other complications.
- Infection
Every surgical procedure comes with some degree of infection risks attached. In 1% of spinal surgery procedures, infections do occur. An infection can happen in the skin incision or spread to other parts around your spinal cord and vertebrae. A superficial infection affects only your skin incision – this is less harmful than deeper infections. Your spine surgeon will probably administer antibiotics to lower your risks of infections right before you go through the surgery.
- Leakage of cerebrospinal fluid
Doctors may recommend lumbar decompression surgical procedures for patients experiencing leg pains and numbness. Symptoms such as weakened spine can recur after surgery. When the lining of your nerves becomes accidentally damaged during a lumbar decompression surgical procedure, you risk leaking your cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Assuming your doctor detects this in the course of the operation, the leakage will be patched. However, small leaks may be hard to notice until after the surgery is completed. This nightmare can give rise to headaches or cause the wound to leak, requiring further surgery to address the complication.
- Hardware fracture
In most spine surgical cases, surgeons use metal screws, plates, rods, and other artificial materials to hold your vertebrae in place while you recover. These devices are referred to as “hardware.” As soon as the bone heals up, the screws don’t play any vital roles.
Hardware fracture occurs when the metal devices break or become displaced from their normal orientation before the surgery is fully healed. Such complications require second operations to replace or remove the hardware.
Finally, death is one of the possible complications of spinal surgery/lumbar decompression. Excessive clotting or an adverse reaction to anesthesia can have grave consequences.
