Neck Surgery
It used to be clear - when the doctor said you needed neck or back surgery after a car accident, motorcycle crash, workers' compensation claim, slip and fall or other personal injury matter, you knew what he or she was talking about. Nowadays, there are many types of neck and back surgery so more clarification is needed.
The mainstay surgical procedure after a personal injury matter is a diskectomy. When someone has a disc herniation, the herniated disc may need to be removed. This diskectomy can be done one of three ways:
Endoscopic Diskectomy: A catheter (a thin tube) that contains tiny cameras and surgical instruments are inserted through small incisions.
Percutaneous Diskectomy: This approach uses a tube with a device at the tip that cuts away some of the herniated disc and a vacuum that then sucks the disc matter out.
Laser Diskectomy: Lasers are used to locate the likely source of pan and remove the diseased tissue or herniated disc. Long-term benefits are unknown.
Another form of spine surgery after a car accident, motorcycle crash, workers' compensation claim, slip and fall or other personal injury matter is a laminectomy. During a laminectomy, a vertebra is removed or part is shaved off to decompress the nerve. Unfortunately, studies have shown that this surgery is not always successful. Some recurrence of back pain and sciatica occurs in half to two-thirds of post-operative patients.
Spinal fusion is also an option. Fusion uses a bone graft or some other device to join the vertebrae together. In a 2001 study of patients with severe long-term back pain, 33% of patients who had spinal fusion had less back pain after 2 years, compared to 7% who received conservative treatment with physical therapy.
For a compression fracture in the spine, percutaneous vertebroplasty or percutaneous kyphoplasty may be recommended. In these procedures, cement-like bone substitutes are injected into the vertebrae.
The final type of surgery that we will address is the artificial disk replacement. This is an investigative procedure where an artificial cushioning device called the prosthetic disk nucleus replaces only the inner gel-like core (nucleus pulposus) within the intervertebral space.
As you can see, there are many types of back or neck surgery. It is important that you talk over your options with your surgeon. If the need for surgery is because of a car accident or work injury, you should also make sure that you talk about your rights with a personal injury attorney.
Perenich, Caulfield, Avril, Noyes & Perenich, P.A. has been representing those requiring neck and back surgery following a Florida car accident, motorcycle crash or work injury since 1955. Put our experience to work for you! If you or a loved one needs neck or back surgery because of a car accident, motorcycle accident, bicycle accident, slip and fall, workers' compensation claim, or other personal injury matter, contact us today!
Remember, insurance companies have attorneys working for them-so should you! Call us now at 727-796-8282 or simply click here to complete our short case evaluation form.
