Each individual who undergoes degenerative disc disease surgery has a different experience. As a result, what’s true for one person might be completely inaccurate for another, and as a result, there are several misconceptions about what one can expect.

One common misconception about degenerative disc disease surgery is that there is only one procedure to treat the condition. While that may have been true at one point in time, many surgeons now have multiple options for treating degenerative disc disease. For instance, there are traditional, open spine surgeries, as well as minimally invasive decompression procedures that can often be offered as alternatives. Of course, not everyone is a good candidate for minimally invasive surgery, and each person will need to work with an experienced surgeon to determine which approach is best for their needs

Misconceptions about the recovery process

A second common misconception involve the recovery process. For instance, some people begin to worry that they would need to spend several days in the hospital, followed by months and months of intensive recovery. This is frequently the case with open neck or back operations, but much less so with minimally invasive procedures. At USA Spine Care, for instance, 86 percent of patients who have a minimally invasive decompression procedure return to work within three months, while 91 percent of patients return to their daily activities during that same time frame.

The belief that surgery always leads to a long recovery time can be traced back to a third misconception: that the muscles in the neck or back are always torn during surgery. At USA Spine Care, we use advanced, muscle-sparing techniques in which the patient’s tissues are separated to minimize damage. This, in turn, helps minimize the recovery time^{^} for most of our patients, as compared to those who have traditional degenerative disc disease procedures.

USA Spine Care can help

At USA Spine Care, we understand that deciding to have degenerative disc disease surgery can be difficult. Our team can help you weigh each of your options to determine the best treatments for your needs.

To help you determine if you are a candidate for minimally invasive, outpatient surgery at USA Spine Care, we can provide you with a no-cost MRI review.* To learn more about our options for degenerative disc disease surgery, contact us today.

Browse Related Resources