Cervical Spine Surgery Plano TX: What You Need to Know

Cases of cervical spine surgery in Plano TX are more common than you think. Injuries can occur in day-to-day activities and can also be caused by the natural wear and tear of our bodies, and in such cases, nothing should be left to chance.

Simple symptoms such as neck pain, numbness, limited feeling and movement of your neck, shoulders and arms should not be overlooked as these could all be signs and symptoms of a spine injury. Without proper treatment, this could lead to paralysis, the inability to breathe and worse, death.

The next step you should be taking is finding a cervical spine surgery clinic near you to have yourself checked. If you suffered head trauma, for example, and have been thinking “Should I have cervical spine surgery?” chances are you do.

Basic Parts of the Cervical Spine

The cervical spine, clinically speaking, are the bones that form the neck at the very top of your spinal column. This set of bones are located near the brain, and trauma to this area is considered to be the most severe of all spinal cord injuries.

Breaking it down, it consists of actual bones or the vertebrae and in between each of the vertebra are discs. Discs are cartilage that absorb shock and cushion your vertebra during movement.

Reasons for Cervical Spine Surgery

A blow to the head, a car accident, sports injuries or a big head trauma are not the only reasons for cervical spine surgery. It can be caused by repetitive everyday movement, poor posture and even just sleeping in the wrong position. Most cervical spine surgery cases start with severe and sharp neck pain extending to a feeling of numbness in the arms.

Then again, your simple neck pain may be caused by something more serious. If the neck pain has been present and consistent for a longer period, it can be degenerative or chronic—or in extreme cases may be a symptom of a tumor. Degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, thoracic disorder, and spinal tumors are a few diagnoses you may hear.

Procedures and Possible Complications

Traditional spinal surgery comes with a lot of risks because it involves creating a long and big incision—exposing a large part of the body’s internal cavity. In an area as sensitive as the spine, risks are not to be taken lightly. Traditional spinal surgery can lead to a bigger chance of infection, and typically comes with a harder and longer recovery period.

With modern advancements in medicine and technology, minimally invasive spinal surgery is already available.

This procedure only involves small incisions using specialized instruments, the most common of which is the tubular retractor. This instrument creates a small tunnel that can access the damaged area in one’s spine without having to open up the body and move muscles and bones around.

The procedure is also aided with other advanced medical equipment, thus reducing pain, trauma to the body, damage in the muscles and skin and major blood loss, making cervical spine surgery recovery easier.

Cervical spine surgery complications associated with conventional approaches include infection, excessive bleeding, blood clots, pseudarthrosis (a term used to describe a fractured bone that has failed to properly heal), permanent damage to the nerves, chronic neck pain, paralysis, and in some extreme cases intra-operative death.

Minimally invasive spine surgery still comes with risks, albeit much less dangerous and rarer compared to those of conventional surgical methods.

Life After Cervical Spine Surgery in Plano TX

Barring any complications, minimally invasive cervical spine surgery only requires a short hospital stay.

In traditional open spine surgery, patients need to stay in the hospital for observation an average of three to five days. In minimally invasive spinal surgery procedures, hospital stays are cut to an average of one to two days. Some cases can even be treated as outpatient procedures.

Having the surgery is just the first step to recovery through a big one. These procedures require a good amount of physical therapy and pain management to help the patient fully regain their strength and live their full lives.

On average, cervical spine surgery recovery takes about six weeks and can continue up to a year, depending on the severity of the case and the procedure done.

Spine Surgery Experts in Plano TX

Should you find yourself in need of having cervical spine surgery in Plano TX, you need not worry. Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas is a clinic located in 5425 W Spring Creek Pkwy Suite 133, Plano, Texas, specializing in minimally invasive neurosurgery.

This clinic is headed by Dr. Scott Kutz, MD a board-certified neurosurgeon with specializations in sacroiliac joint disorder and artificial disc replacement. They pride themselves in their state-of-the-art facilities and personalized patient care.

To learn more about cervical spine surgery in Plano TX, you may visit www.minimallyinvasiveneurosurgerytexas.com. The site contains informative articles about spinal ailments and its symptoms. Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Texas Clinic is even available across social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, making their services and expertise more transparent and accessible.

Booking an appointment is also very easy with their interactive website and readily available new patient fill-out form. Their offices are open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you think you need cervical spine surgery in Plano TX, give them a call at 972-244-3491, they are ready to take care of you.