Dispelling 3 Common Spine Surgery Fears

Category: Spine Surgery | Author: Stefano Sinicropi

Spine Surgery Fears

The prospect of undergoing a spinal operation can leave a person leaving nervous or downright afraid, and that’s not a healthy mindset to have heading into surgery. We can’t guarantee that everything will go perfectly 100 percent of the time, but we’ve found that some of the biggest fears people have coming into surgery aren’t actually that big of a deal. Today, we share three common fears people have before spine surgery, and why you shouldn’t let them bother you before your operation.

There’s Going to be a Lot of Pain

In today’s day and age, spine surgery is much less painful than it was decades ago. Not only are we better at ensuring patients have the right dosage of sedation and pain medications in the hours and days after the operation, but we’ve developed new surgical techniques that are less invasive and less taxing on the patient’s body, which means pain is better managed. Also, if you’ve been told that surgery is your best option, odds are you’re already dealing with pain on a regular basis. This everyday pain is often reduced or eliminated after an operation. So while there may be a slight uptick in discomfort in the days immediately after the operation, in the long-term, you’ll have much less spine pain.

Something Could go Wrong

In everything we do in life, no matter how simple the task, there’s a chance that something could go wrong. However, in the hands of a skilled professional, we can control for many potential problems and greatly reduce the risk of complications. Surgery may sound very complex and difficult to you, but to a surgeon who has decades of experience operating on patients, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Even when complications do arise, they are often relatively minor and controlled for with medications or hands-on care. Surgeons know what to watch for and what to do in the event of a problem, so not only can them prevent problems, but they can easily account for issues should they develop.

I’ll have to Miss Work and my Family Depends on my Income

The prospect of being gone from work for days or weeks can place a financial burden on your family, but it doesn’t have to if you make a plan in advance. Most surgeries are planned far enough in advance that you can alert your boss and make arraignments so that you don’t fall behind at work while you’re recovering from surgery. Ask if you can work from your house for a short while, or if you can be moved to light duty while you’re recovering. If that won’t work, look into your options for short-term disability payments or if you can set up a payment plan for your surgery so you can pay off the bill in small portions over time. You can even ask your doctor about minimally invasive operations that can reduce recovery time and get your back to work quicker. If you make a plan before surgery, you can ensure you’ll have financial security after spinal surgery.

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