Back pains and injuries require surgery if they are too far gone in severity. One of the surgeries performed is a replacement disc surgery. Here is everything you need to know about who is a perfect candidate for this type of surgery.
Your Age
Your age matters with surgeries. You have to be of a certain age to get disc replacement surgery. Older people are not the ones who should be getting surgeries like these. This surgery is pretty invasive and older people can’t seem to hold on much longer. They will continuously be in pain and the healing process will be slower.
They will also not be able to move at all until the pain fully subsides and that can take months. This is why this surgery is performed on people from ages 30-50 at most.
No Prior Injury
This is also another important factor that makes you a good candidate for disc replacement surgery. You need to have no prior injury or surgery done on your back when you go and get disc replacement surgery done. Prior injuries and surgeries are obstructions that are not preferred in a disc replacement surgery.
Your back needs to be in a seemingly untouched condition in order to get disc replacement surgery. This is not always the case for most people, since a lot of people have back problems and they have been through one or more surgeries before.
Healthy Weight
Your weight and physique will help with the anesthesia fitness before the surgery. If you are obese, have high blood pressure, or have diabetes, then this might be a huge hindrance in your disc replacement surgery. You need to be fit and have an optimum BMI in order to be eligible for this invasive surgical procedure.
You also need to be free of underlying conditions like heart issues, blood pressure, and stress. These things are checked before the doctor gives you the go-ahead for the surgery.
No Compression In The Nerves
Your back is a complex connection of bones and nerves. There might be some issue with the nerves or some sort of bone dislocation which may be causing the nerve to be compressed. This is not a good thing if you are planning to go for a disc replacement surgery. Your back and nerves need to be in perfect condition, otherwise, the surgery will do more bad than good for you. It’s better to have an x-ray done and see whether your nerves are compressed or not.
If you suffer from chronic back pain, then this might be a common issue and it can be a problem in pursuing disc replacement surgery.
No Bone Problems
A lot of people have bone problems and disorders. Osteoporosis, arthritis, and osteoarthritis are just some of the many underlying bone diseases, which can be caused by either lack of care for your body or can occur with old age. These bone disorders can be a hindrance in your disc replacement surgery. Your bones need to be healthy and free of any sort of abnormalities if you want to go for a disc replacement surgery otherwise it can lead to a whole new set of problems for you after the surgery.
Good Pain Threshold
Last but not least, you need to be able to tolerate pain. This surgery is time-consuming and it is also hard on the body, so the healing process may consist of a lot of episodes of pain shooting through your back.
This is inevitable in most cases and the doctor will usually recommend that you try light activity during this time as well because sitting around will only make you more miserable and will make you feel the pain even more. So, you can go for this surgery if you can breathe through the pain.
Conclusion
A disc replacement surgery is a very invasive process and it cannot be done on everyone. There are certain requirements that need to be followed and you need to tick all of those boxes before you are considered for the surgery. Visit a spine and back doctor Woodbridge to find out if you’re eligible for disc replacement surgery.
