Spine surgeries are safe: Surgeons

Busting the myth that getting a spinal surgery generally leads to paralysis for life, the Association of Spine Surgeons of India (ASSI) today said there is no rationale behind this myth and that spine surgeries are safe.
"Majority of spine surgeries are very safe. The complication rate of routine spine surgery is no more than that of other surgeries like abdominal or cardiac or orthopaedic surgeries.
"The incidence of increase in permanent neurological deficit (weakness in the muscles), for example, is less than one per cent after routine spine surgeries. Some very severe spine problems requiring very complex surgeries may have higher complication rates," said Dr Sajan Hegde, President of ASSI and Consultant Spine Surgeon and Head, Department of Orthopaedics, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai.

However, only a small percentage of spinal problems require surgery, said Dr Ram Chaddha, President Elect-ASSI and Professor and Head of Department of Orthopaedics at KJ Somaiya Medical College in Mumbai.
"Spine surgery is required only when a good conservative program fails. In fact the vast majority of spinal problems can be managed conservatively," said Chaddha.
According to Dr H S Chhabra, Secretary-ASSI and Chief of Spine Service and Medical Director at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi, in western countries, recent research suggests that almost five lakh disk surgeries are performed annually.
With advancement in technology, the outcomes of spine surgeries have improved remarkably. Advances in preoperative planning, technique of surgery, instrumentation, anaesthetic techniques, intra-operative imaging and antibiotic policy as well as intra-operative spinal cord monitoring, have made spine surgery a lot more safe with acceptable complication rates, he said.

"It is well established that when a spine surgery is indicated, not undergoing it would have a far higher incidence of the same complications which the common man dreads from a spine surgery," Chhabra stated.