Reducing Risks During Common Surgeries
June 18, 2019
According to Harvard Health, more people are having spinal fusion surgery than ever before. Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure used to correct problems with the small bones in the spine. The procedure essentially "welds" two or more adjacent vertebrae together to form a single, stable and more supportive bone.
Although more people are having this surgery, it can still cause patients to feel nervous and anxious.
"Surgery itself can make people anxious. Surgery near the spine can often make people downright afraid of potential negative outcomes," said Dr. Faisal Jahangiri, CNIM, D. ABNM, FASNM, of AXIS Neuromonitoring in Richardson, Texas.
This is where AXIS comes in. As a leader in neuromonitoring in Texas, the company employs highly trained staff to help monitor patients in the operating room. These team members are experts at reading the devices that monitor patients, such as electromyography and electroencephalography diagnostic devices.
"Neuromonitoring can help provide patients peace of mind during spinal fusion and other spinal surgery procedures," Jahangiri said.
Neuromonitoring closely follows the behavior of the nerves during surgery. Intraoperative neuromonitoring is frequently used by surgeons in spinal fusion procedures and other operations, including cranial and neural procedures, peripheral nerve surgery, facial surgeries, thyroid and parotid gland procedures, and carotid endarterectomies, a surgical procedure designed to reduce the risk of stroke by correcting stenosis in the carotid artery.
"If anything changes during surgery, technologists and interpreting physicians who are in the operating room during the procedure can quickly alert the surgeon," Jahangiri said.
Being able to actively monitor and advise surgeons of changes in nerve activity during procedures can help improve patient outcomes and reduce the risk of complications.
What Are the Complications Associated with Spinal Fusion?
Any surgery has a risk of complications. These complications include infection, issues with anesthesia, bleeding and delayed healing. But there are specific complications associated with this spinal procedure.
"The procedure can affect spinal nerves and cause loss of strength in the lower extremities," Jahangiri said.
Spinal fusion can also result in tingling or loss of sensation in the legs.
Although rare, spinal fusion surgery can also cause problems with bowel or bladder control.
During the anterior spinal fusion procedure, in which the operation is performed through abdominals, there is a risk for men of developing a problem with ejaculation after the procedure.
"This complication is rare, and anterior fusion is still the preferred technique when multiple spinal levels are being treated and several discs, the cartilaginous structures between the vertebrae, are being removed," Jahangiri said.
While the chance of developing this complication is low, it can cause difficulty for men who want to conceive with their partners post-surgery.
Healing after spinal fusion surgery can also take time if trauma to the nerves during the procedure was significant. In some cases, nerve damage caused by the procedure can take up to two years to heal.
All of this can cause concern and fear in patients with back problems, but Jahangiri believes that neuromonitoring can help reduce these fears.
"The risk of developing complications after spinal fusion surgery can be significantly reduced through neuromonitoring," Jahangiri said.
