Is there an age limit for back surgery?

Lumbar spine surgery in patients 85 years and older can be accomplished safely if careful attention is paid to preoperative selection. Prolonged operative times are associated with a higher risk of complications.

Is there an age limit for spinal surgery?

Major spine surgery can often be dismissed as too risky for elderly patients, but there is evidence that this population can have good outcomes and that rates of morbidity and mortality are generally low.

Is 80 too old for back surgery?

A new study appearing in the February 4th issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS) found that those 80 and older can derive significant benefit from surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis with and without degenerative spondylolisthesis.

What is the average age for back surgery?

The average age at surgery was 82.5 ± 2.6 years (80 to 93); 63 patients underwent their first lumbar surgery, and nine patients received a second surgery.

What is the average age for a spinal fusion?

The average age of all fusion patients increased from 58.2 to 60.6 years (P < . 001). Length of stay did not change significantly from a mean of 3.7 days. In-hospital mortality decreased from 0.6% to 0.3% (P < .

Is There an Age Limit for Complex Spine Surgery? – Basem Ishak, M.D.

Why you should avoid back surgery?

If things go south, some of the potential complications of back surgery can include an adverse reaction to anesthesia, bleeding, infection, deadly blood clots that can circulate to the heart or lungs, heart attack, stroke, and nerve damage.

How do I know if I need back surgery?

Back surgery might be an option if conservative treatments haven't worked and your pain is persistent and disabling. Back surgery often more predictably relieves associated pain or numbness that goes down one or both arms or legs. These symptoms often are caused by compressed nerves in your spine.

Should a 75 year old have back surgery?

Spinal fixation and fusion in patients older than 75 years old grants good results in terms of quality of life but the rate of morbidity is higher than standard spine surgery. Rate of fusion especially is still a critical point.

What is the success rate of back surgery?

One study estimated the success rate for back surgeries to be about 50%. This estimate is conservative, as most success rates depend on a wide variety of factors. Your health, specific surgery, source of pain and any surgery complications influence whether or not your procedure will be effective.

What type of back pain requires surgery?

Reasons You May Need Back Surgery

Bone spurs in your spine (these are often caused by arthritis) that are putting pressure on your spinal cord. A degenerative spinal condition like stenosis (narrowing of the protective bony canal around the spinal cord) that's causing side effects, like weakness.

Should an 85 year old have back surgery?

CONCLUSIONS. Lumbar spine surgery in patients 85 years and older can be accomplished safely if careful attention is paid to preoperative selection. Prolonged operative times are associated with a higher risk of complications.

What is the recovery time from back surgery?

Patients are told to avoid driving, sitting for prolonged periods, and lifting anything heavy for the first 1-2 weeks. Surgeons may prescribe physical therapy to help patients regain full movement of the spine. Full recovery for most patients is roughly 6 weeks to 3 months.

Do most older people have spinal stenosis?

By radiological criteria alone, 21% of all persons over age 60 have lumbar spinal stenosis.

Is spinal fusion a high risk surgery?

Spinal fusion is generally a safe procedure. But as with any surgery, spinal fusion carries the potential risk of complications. Potential complications include: Infection.

How long does spinal surgery last?

Benefits of Awake Spine Surgery

A traditional spinal fusion surgery with general anesthesia takes about four hours and requires a hospital stay of three to four days as well as IV painkillers. The awake spine surgery takes half the time and typically has patients out of the hospital within 24 hours.

What else can be done instead of spinal fusion?

Currently, the main fusion alternatives include: IDET. or Intradiscal electrothermal coagulation (or annuloplasty). This procedure involves inserting a needle into the lumbar disc space, passing a catheter through the needle, and heating up the annulus (the outer core of the disc space).

How painful is back surgery?

After surgery, pain is no longer achy and arthritic but stems from wound healing, swelling and inflammation. You will experience some pain outside of the hospital. For most back surgeries, it will take 1-1.5 months to resume “normal” mobility and function. During this time, pain should be tolerable and controlled.

Is herniated disc surgery worth it?

But disc surgery is faster and works better for bad pain, a large U.S. study finds. The study shows that patients with a "slipped" or "ruptured" disc -- what doctors call a herniated disc --won't get worse or become paralyzed if they don't have surgery. Instead, they can expect to get better over time.

Is surgery necessary for pinched nerve in back?

Pinched Nerve Back Surgery Using Least Invasive Methods

If pain still persists and patient is intolerant to the pain after non-surgical treatment and there is evidence by CT Scan, MRI or X-ray of neurological deficit, then surgical intervention is usually recommended.

Is lumbar laminectomy safe for elderly?

Our results demonstrate that conventional lumbar laminectomy without fusion is a safe treatment for spinal stenosis in patients 70 years and older. There were no differences in outcomes between patients who experienced complications and those who did not.

What is the latest treatment for spinal stenosis?

A wide-reaching innovation, endoscopic spine surgery has the promise to transform the lives of patients with spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and disc herniations. Endoscopic spine surgery has unleashed the new potential for faster, safer, and more effective surgical recoveries.

What is the most common back surgery?

Spinal fusion.

This is the most common surgery for chronic nonspecific back pain with degenerative changes. The doctor will join spinal bones, called vertebrae, together. This limits the motion between them and how far your nerves can stretch.

Can surgery fix sciatica?

Sciatica surgery has a high success rate. A discectomy has an 84% satisfaction rate on average. Surgeries for spinal stenosis like a facetectomy or laminectomy have similar success rates. Statistics show as many as 90% of patients experience relief.

What can be done for a bulging disc and pinched nerve?

Oral corticosteroids – These are used to reduce swelling and pain. Narcotics – These are used for brief periods to reduce severe pain. Epidural Steroid injections – These injections may reduce swelling and allow inflamed nerves to recover.

How long does lumbar back surgery take?

What Is a Lumbar (Low Back) Laminectomy? A laminectomy is a procedure which involves removing bone of the vertebrae to allow for more space for the nerves. It relieves pressure on the nerves and decreases symptoms such as numbness, tingling, pain and weakness. Surgery will last approximately 2 to 3 hours.