Spine Surgery

The spine is a column of bones (vertebrae) cushioned by discs and held together by ligaments and muscles, protecting the spinal cord and the nerves that branch from it to the rest of the body. When a disc, a joint, the bony canal or the alignment of the spine is affected, the result can be pain, stiffness, numbness, weakness or, in serious cases, problems with walking or with bladder and bowel control. Spine surgery covers all of these conditions across every age, from a child with a developing curve to an older adult with a worn, narrowed spine. A defining feature of modern spine care is the combined assessment, in which orthopaedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists review each case together, balancing surgical and non-surgical options so the chosen plan reflects the whole picture.

Degenerative spine work treats the wear-related conditions that become more common with age: herniated disc in the lower back or neck, narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis), slippage of one vertebra on another (spondylolisthesis) and the long-standing back and neck pain that often accompanies them. Deformity surgery corrects abnormal curves of the spine, scoliosis (a sideways curve) and kyphosis (a forward curve), which often appear in childhood and adolescence and may progress as a young person grows. Cervical spine surgery focuses on the neck, where a disc or bone spur can press on the spinal cord or a nerve. Spinal tumour surgery removes growths of the vertebrae or within the spinal canal, while trauma surgery stabilises fractures from injury or from weakened, osteoporotic bone. Spine infections, although less common, are also treated here. Throughout, paediatric spine care addresses the particular needs of growing children.

Many spine problems improve without surgery, and conservative care, including physical medicine and rehabilitation, targeted exercise, posture work and injections, is usually the first step for back and neck pain and for many herniated discs. When an operation is needed, the modern emphasis is on doing the least that solves the problem. For a herniated disc that presses on a nerve, microdiscectomy or full endoscopic discectomy removes the offending fragment through a very small opening. For spinal stenosis, decompression relieves pressure on the nerves. When the spine is unstable or being straightened, fusion and instrumentation with screws and rods hold the corrected position while it heals, and for some growing children a fusionless technique can guide a curve while preserving movement. Vertebral fractures may be stabilised with cement (vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty) or with instrumentation, and tumours are removed and the spine reconstructed as needed. Wherever it is suitable, minimally invasive and navigated techniques are used to reduce the impact of surgery and speed recovery.

Because the same symptom, such as back pain, can have many different causes, careful assessment is the foundation of good spine care. Diagnosis combines a thorough clinical examination with imaging: plain x rays show the bones and alignment, magnetic resonance imaging (MR) shows the discs, nerves and spinal cord in detail, and computed tomography (CT) shows the bony anatomy, while standing and bending views and specialised studies help with deformity and instability. In the operating theatre, intraoperative imaging and surgical navigation guide the precise placement of implants, and nerve monitoring continuously checks the spinal cord and nerves during major operations to keep them safe. This technology, combined with the shared decision of the spine team, means the cause of a problem is clearly understood and the safest, most effective plan is chosen before any treatment begins.

For people travelling from abroad, the journey usually begins remotely, with a review of your MR and other imaging, reports and history, so that a provisional plan and a realistic idea of any operation and recovery can be shared before you arrive. On arrival, an in person assessment by the combined spine team and any further imaging confirm the diagnosis and plan. Keyhole disc surgery typically means a hospital stay of 1 to 3 days and an early return to gentle activity, while fusion, deformity correction or tumour surgery needs a longer stay and a more structured recovery, often with a planned course of rehabilitation. Most patients are advised to stay in the destination area for one to a few weeks after discharge so wounds can be checked, early mobilisation can be supervised and fitness to fly confirmed, since long flights soon after major spine surgery are limited. Interpreter and international patient services support the whole process, and your team will arrange remote follow up and, where helpful, a rehabilitation plan you can continue at home.