Should you get a second opinion before back surgery?

If your doctor recommends back surgery, you should get a second opinion before deciding whether to have the surgery. Except in the most serious cases, you have time to try other therapies first; you are no worse off if they fail and much better off if you are pain free and have avoided an unnecessary surgery.

Can you get surgeries back to back?

Proceeding with two back-to-back surgeries within a short period of time can increase the risk of complications and significantly extend the time it takes to recover. With that being said, there are sometimes practical reasons for squeezing two surgeries close together. Insurance coverage is one such example.

When do you 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.

What questions should I ask my spine doctor?

Spine Surgery: Questions to Ask Your Doctor

What type of spine surgery are you recommending?
Why do I need back surgery?
Are there treatment alternatives to spine surgery?
What are the benefits of having the neck or back operation?
What are my risks of having spine surgery?
What can happen if I don’t have back surgery?

How soon can you have a second surgery?

Most doctors will recommend waiting six to 12 weeks between surgeries. Longer wait times are advised for surgeries involving significant blood loss or extensive time under anesthesia. Additionally, your rate of healing and overall health will be a good determinant of how quickly you can receive your second procedure.

What percentage of back surgeries fail?

The American Society of Anesthesiologists estimates that 20 to 40% of back surgeries fail. Patients having repeated back surgeries have a much higher chance of failure. One study found only 30% of second back surgeries are successful.

Does anesthesia shorten your life?

No other study has investigated the effect of general anesthesia without surgery on life expectancy. This is probably attributable, in part, to the fact that, absent major physiologic abnormalities during or immediately after anesthesia, there has been no reason to think that anesthesia affects longevity.

What are the chances of dying during back surgery?

Mortality for all patients requiring surgery of the lumbar spine was 0.13%. Mortality based on procedure type was 0.105% for simple fusions, 0.321% for complex fusions, and 0.081% for decompression only.

Is back surgery serious?

Back surgery can carry higher risks than some other types of surgery because it is done closer to the nervous system. The most serious of these risks include paralysis and infections. Even with a successful surgery, the recovery time can be long.

What questions should I ask my doctor back?

10 Questions to Ask Doctor About Back Pain

Can some serious conditions be causing my back pain?
What will worsen my back pain?
Are there things I can do at home or in my life to reduce my back pain?
Is medicine necessary?
If medicine is needed, how does the medicine work?
How long can I take medicine?

Who is a good candidate for back surgery?

Your doctor may decide that you are a good candidate for spinal fusion surgery if: Your pain is chronic. Your spine condition only affects one or two discs or vertebrae. Nonsurgical management like physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, or back bracing hasn’t worked.

Can you go under anesthesia twice in a week?

When to consider a second opinion after back surgery?

When to consider a second opinion. It is also good to get a second opinion if the initial back surgery did not work and another surgery is being proposed. This advice is especially true if it involves fusing further segments of the spine. Often, if the initial fusion surgery does not work, further surgery will not be helpful.

What should I expect from a second opinion?

The surgeon interview. The best advice for a patient seeking another surgical opinion is to keep an open mind. You need to be as judgmental about the second opinion as for the first, and need to grill the second physician even further than the first. At a minimum, you should cover these topics with the surgeon:

How do I get a second opinion after seeing my GP?

If you would like a second opinion after seeing a consultant (a senior medical doctor who specialises in a particular field of medicine), you need to go back to your GP and ask them to refer you again. If your GP agrees to refer you to a new consultant, the consultant will be told that this is your second opinion.

When to ask for a second opinion about a disease?

Groopman: Any time you have a very serious or life-threatening disease: Where the diagnosis is not clear, the treatment is experimental, or there is no established consensus or Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment If you’re considering some new experimental approach or a procedure that involves using experimental instruments or devices.

When to get a second opinion on a car repair?

This is a scare tactic designed to get you to authorize a repair. Mechanics know that most people don’t know anything about their cars, so they prey on your fears that you’ll not want to break down on the side of the road. If a mechanic is trying to coerce you in this way, get a second opinion immediately.

What do I need for a second opinion?

Groopman: Absolutely. One, you need all the medical records and any pathology slides or other test results to give to whoever is giving the second opinion. Two, you want the experts to discuss in an open way what the areas of agreement and disagreement are.

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