Vertebrae stabilization process

The vertebrae stabilization process in the back has a great deal of information to be aware of before performing surgery which is explained in detail in the following article.

Vertebral stabilization process

The process of stabilizing the vertebrae in the back is one of the types of medical procedures that are performed to fuse the two vertebrae in which the damage occurred, and thus the injured person can return to practicing his life normally and the back begins to bend and move without feeling pain.

The process of stabilizing the lumbar vertebrae is of great importance after the person is exposed to an accident that leads to damage to the back vertebrae, and therefore the injured person must undergo surgery after the accident, swelling or infection, and complications can occur for the injured person in the event of a delay in surgery.

When should vertebrae fixation be done?

When the vertebrae are injured inside the spine, doctors can begin to work on physical therapy and exercise with medications that help improve the condition of the person in general, and if work is not done to improve the condition of the injured person, doctors begin to perform vertebral stabilization surgery to return to the normal movement of the injured person.

There is more than one disease or injury that requires starting a vertebral stabilization surgery, as follows:

Injury to the spine.
Having a herniated disc in the back.
A tumor in the vertebrae.
Feeling weak in the muscles.
The presence of infection or inflammation in the joints.

The doctor usually begins with the necessary medical examinations that help to know the accurate diagnosis of the injured person, and then prepares the patient for surgery, and the person can take anti-inflammatory and anti-infective medications about two weeks before surgery.

Pre-operative procedures for vertebrae fixation

Preoperative procedures are considered one of the most important stages of preparing the patient in order for the surgery to be feasible and for the patient to get more comfort and reduce the chances of complications after the operation, the back vertebrae patient can be prepared before the operation through the following several steps:

The doctor needs to be informed of the medications that the injured person is taking so that some of them can be stopped in case they conflict with the medications for the operation.
The patient should stop smoking for about a month before the surgery.
You should tell your doctor if you are using blood thinners.
You must refrain from eating for at least 6 hours before the surgery.
You should refrain from drinking water two hours before the surgery.

After these procedures, the patient undergoes surgery, which makes him feel more improved, and this surgery can take about two hours in order for the vertebrae to be well stabilized, and the injured person can return to his normal life.

How is spinal fusion surgery performed?

After work has been done to prepare the patient well for back fusion surgery, the person can enter the operating room, where he stays for a period of about 120 minutes, and then return to the recovery room, and the surgery can be performed through the following steps:

The attending physician begins to subject the patient to general anesthesia.
Spinal fusion is one of the medical procedures that require a bone graft to stabilize the damaged vertebrae.
The doctor begins to locate the wound precisely according to the site of the injury.
The doctor begins to make an incision to insert the necessary tools and fuses the vertebrae.
The surgical procedure is performed and the vertebrae are fixed with a bone graft.
The doctor uses screws and slides that increase the stabilization of the vertebrae.
After the surgery is completed, the wound is bandaged and the patient is returned to the recovery room.

The process of stabilizing the vertebrae with slides and screws is performed through the previous steps, and the doctor begins to follow up with the patient after the surgery is performed to know the success rate of the operation and to ensure that there are no complications associated with it.

Procedures after vertebrae fixation

Some steps must be taken after the fusion of the vertebrae in the back is completed, and thus recovery can be greatly facilitated in faster recovery, and among the important instructions that must be taken into account are the following procedures, namely:

The patient must follow the rehabilitation program after surgery.
The injured person can stay in the hospital for four days to ensure his safety.
The doctor gives painkillers and anti-inflammatories after the operation.
A person needs to start walking for a few minutes a day to give more flexibility to the back when moving and to strengthen the muscles.
Supportive devices, including a belt or crutches, can be used to keep the body upright until complete recovery.
The injured person can leave the hospital after less than a week, but he should not be exposed to physical stress, but it is preferable to rest at such times.
Periodic follow-up with the specialist doctor is important in avoiding risks or health problems that the patient may face.
Full recovery after spinal surgery requires 3 to 6 months and physical therapy during this period is of fundamental importance.

What is the success rate of vertebrae fixation?

Although the process of fusion of the vertebrae is one of the surgeries that require a somewhat long recovery period that may reach 6 months until the patient is then able to return to his normal physical activity without the need to use crutches or assistive devices, and the success rate of this surgery can reach 100% in many cases.

There are some steps that the doctor gives to the patient after the operation, and adherence to them carefully reduces the chances of infection, inflammation, or any other complications of the operation, and also helps in obtaining a speedy recovery and recovery for the person after a period of 12 to 24 months.

How many hours does the vertebrae fixation process take?

Vertebrae fusion or vertebrae fixation can be performed after an accident or a disease that affected the cartilage between the vertebrae, and here doctors recommend fusion so that there is no friction between the vertebrae and the person feels severe back pain and difficulty in movement.

The spine stabilization procedure can take about two hours and is often performed through a traditional surgical procedure, which slightly increases the period of full recovery and healing of the wound, but after this, the patient returns to his daily activities.

Types of vertebrae fixation screws

All procedures for fixing the vertebrae can be determined by the attending physician after identifying the accurate diagnosis of the patient’s condition in general, and choosing the type of screws and slides suitable for the patient must be subject to medical supervision to work on a rapid improvement of the condition without exposure to complications.

What are the complications of vertebrae fixation?

The process of fusion of the back vertebrae is like any other surgery, after which the patient may be exposed to some complications that cause severe pain to the injured person, and the complications can occur as follows:

the presence of clots
The presence of bleeding at the site of surgery.
Sensitivity to anesthesia.
The presence of inflammation in the vertebrae.
Stiffness in the vertebrae.
A feeling of weakness in the muscles of the body.

Physiotherapy after vertebrae fixation

After the operation to fix the vertebrae, the patient needs a number of medical procedures after the operation, certainly including physical rehabilitation through physical therapy, which gives more comfort and greater chances of a faster recovery, and thus can increase the possibility of a person returning to moving without assistance.

Physiotherapy includes a number of procedures, including exercises that improve the person’s condition and give the body a midwife to recover and regain the ability to physical activity again, there are some exercises after the vertebral fixation operation that can be done after the first week of surgery, as follows:

Ankle flexion exercise.
Leg extension exercise.
Thigh stretching exercise.
Lower back stretching exercise.

Work can be done to improve the condition of the injured person through these medical procedures and continuous medical follow-up to avoid the person from exposure to complications in general after surgery, but care must be taken after giving the back an excessive load so that he does not suffer any injury.

Is walking useful after vertebrae fixation?

There is more than one exercise that can be done after the surgeries are performed because it helps to improve the condition of the injured person, and one of the most important medical procedures immediately after the operation to fix the vertebrae is walking, because it helps in giving strength to the muscles and joints, which enables the patient to recover and return to his normal activity.

Duration of recovery from cervical spine surgery

When will you return to your normal life after the vertebral stabilization operation? Recovery after vertebrae fixation or fusion surgery can take some time, up to 6 months, or about 24 weeks, and therefore the patient should take care of the rehabilitation system that works to improve the person’s life and be able to return to his physical activity as soon as possible.

Problems after the process of fixing the vertebrae?

The damage of the vertebrae fixation operations can be inflicted on the patient at times and thus affect the condition of the patient and his ability to carry out his normal daily activities, and when the patient follows up continuously during the months of recovery with the patient, he can get a lot of rest and a faster recovery.

Complications associated with the process of fusion of the vertebrae can appear in the form of inflammation in the vertebrae or the presence of pain at the site of the injury that sometimes reaches bleeding, and if you have any of these symptoms, you should refer to the attending physician as soon as possible.

When does the pain go away after vertebral stabilization surgery?

Recovery after spinal fixation surgery may take some time, and the pain may remain after the operation for up to a month, but it begins to disappear gradually, and thus the patient feels an improvement within several months after the surgery, with attention to the steps recommended by the person treating the doctor.

How to sleep after vertebrae fixation

How does a spinal fixation patient sleep? There is more than one step that the injured person must take into account when sitting or sleeping because these positions give more comfort to the body and can help relieve the person’s feeling of pain after the vertebral fusion operation.

When sleeping after surgery, the patient should be careful to sleep on a comfortable, non-rigid mattress, and it is important to keep the shoulder and upper back at the level of the rest of the body so as not to put pressure on the vertebrae while placing supportive pillows below the knee to give greater comfort when sleeping.

Should I wear a back brace after spinal fixation?

There are some devices and tools that can be used after performing the fixation of the back vertebrae, which work to support the spine and improve the patient’s feeling of pain, and one of the important tools is the back belt that keeps the back supported and straight in the first periods after surgery.

Sitting after vertebrae fixation

Sitting is one of the positions that should be paid attention to after the vertebral fusion surgery is performed because it helps to feel comfortable, and the patient can use non-rigid padded chairs that do not hurt the back, and he must alternate between standing and sitting, and avoiding staying seated for a long time.