Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

When it comes to elective surgery, you want to weigh all the benefits and potential risks before you decide if moving forward with the procedure is right for you. After all, nobody wants to undergo a significant and costly surgery only to realize that they wish they would have chosen a different treatment path.

But what factors should you consider when determining if elective spine surgery is right for you, and is the elective procedure really worth it in the end? We do our best to answer those questions in today’s blog.

Factors To Consider Before Elective Spine Surgery

Whether or not a person should undergo an elective spinal procedure will come down to the unique challenges and goals of the individual considering the procedure, but here’s a look at some factors that are often helpful in assessing when trying to determine if back surgery is worth it:

• Other Treatments Unsuccessful – An elective spine surgery is rarely the first treatment course. If your doctor can address your condition without pursuing an invasive procedure, that’s the route they’ll choose. If you’ve tried a few non-operative treatments without success, then elective surgery may be a more optimal route.
• Overall Health – All surgeries, even minimally invasive operations, carry some risk. To reduce the likelihood of any adverse effects associated with your procedure or recovery, it helps to be in good overall health. If you have a number of comorbidities or your surgeon has other concerns about the viability of your procedure, then elective spine surgery may not be worth the risk.
• Quality Of Life – If back pain is severely hampering your independence and quality of life, then it is more likely that elective surgery will be worth it. If you’re shying away from activities you love, and your doctor believes you should be able to return to these activities following surgery, then elective surgery is much more likely to be worth the associated risk for the patient.
• Clear Diagnosis – Spine surgery can correct a number of different issues, but it works best when your surgeon really understands what’s causing your discomfort. If imaging shows that a herniated disc is to blame, there’s a good chance that surgery will be able to completely address the issue. On the other hand, if doctors are struggling to diagnose your non-specific low back pain, then an elective procedure may not be guaranteed to address the root issue.

Is Elective Back Surgery Worth It?

In an effort to better understand if patients were satisfied with their decision to move forward with an elective spinal procedure, researchers in Canada conducted a small study. The study was titled “The impact of elective spine surgery in Canada for degenerative conditions on patient reported health-related quality of life outcomes,” and it effectively sought to answer the question “Is elective spine surgery worth it.”

You can learn more about the study by following the link, but we’ll put some of the major takeaways below:

• For patients with profound impairment of physical function health-related Quality of Life scores (HRQoL), elective surgery was effective at improving these scores.
• The majority of patients saw improvements in their HRQoL scores, but these scores were still lower than the average score of a person without a spinal issue.
• HRQoL scores improved less in patients over the age of 65.

In other words, elective spine surgery can provide a significant improvement in a person’s quality of life. Although this improvement may not be as pronounced in older individuals or as compared to someone without back pain, it’s clear that the majority of patients believed that their elective spine surgery was worth it in the end.

If you’re dealing with chronic back pain, don’t let it disrupt your life. Take steps to treat the issue and connect with a spine specialist like Dr. Sinicropi if you require more hands-on care. To connect with his clinic, give the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute a call today at (651) 430-3800.

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