Before you undergo arthritis of the spine surgery, it’s important to understand exactly what will happen before, during and after your procedure. This knowledge will help you prepare and set the right expectations for your surgery and recovery period.

What to expect prior to your arthritis of the spine surgery

Before you undergo your arthritis of the spine surgery, you will meet with your surgical team to review the details of your procedure and the timeline for the upcoming events. You will schedule your preoperative appointments and evaluations, as well as go through what you need to do to prepare for the surgery.

Prior to arthritis of the spine surgery, patients are often required to stop taking certain medications, such as blood thinners and other medications that could alter the safety of your surgery. Your surgeon will give you specific guidelines based on the type of spine surgery you are about to undergo and your medical history.

What to expect during your arthritis of the spine surgery

If you choose to undergo a minimally invasive arthritis of the spine surgery at USA Spine Care, you are choosing an alternative to traditional open spine surgery that often results in a lower risk of complication and a shorter recovery time^{^} comparatively.

Our procedures are performed through the following steps:

• A less than 1-inch incision is made in the spine, which minimizes the cutting or tearing of surrounding muscles.
• Once the spine is reached, the pinched nerve causing your pain is decompressed. Because arthritis of the spine can manifest itself in many ways, the specific way the nerve will be decompressed will be discussed with you by your surgical team.
• The incision is closed.

Because of our minimally invasive approach to arthritis of the spine surgery and other surgical procedures, our procedures are often the clinically appropriate first choice over traditional open neck and back surgery.

What to expect after arthritis of the spine surgery

After the surgery is complete, your surgeon will review with you your guidelines for postsurgical recovery. These guidelines include daily exercises and certain activity restrictions to help you recover from your arthritis of the spine surgery safely.

If you have any questions regarding arthritis of the spine surgery and other treatment options, contact USA Spine Care today. We can offer you a no-cost MRI review* to find out if you are a candidate for one of our minimally invasive procedures.