Spine surgery

At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, you can expect the highest-quality spine care. We follow national best practices to reduce risks and shorten recovery time after spine surgery. Our orthopedic surgeons use advanced techniques that promote the best outcomes possible.

Learn how to prepare for your spine surgery.

What is spine surgery?

Spine surgeries are procedures to treat conditions affecting your spinal bones, tissues and nerves. Surgery may be an option when other noninvasive treatments, such as rest, medications and physical therapy, haven’t brought relief.

Types of spine surgery

There are many types of spine surgery, including:

• Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: Your surgeon makes a small incision in your throat to remove a disc in your neck. Removing a damaged disc eases pressure on your spinal cord and relieves pain.
• Anterior lumbar interbody fusion: Your surgeon makes an incision in the front of your abdomen. This allows them to access and join (fuse) bones in your lower (lumbar) spine.
• Decompression: Your surgeon removes a portion of your spine to relieve pressure on a nerve.
• Disc replacement: Your surgeon removes a damaged spinal disc and replaces it with an artificial one.
• Kyphoplasty: Your surgeon inflates a small, balloon-like device in a broken spinal bone. This creates space to inject a cement-like substance that fuses and stabilizes your bones.
• Laminectomy: Your surgeon removes part or all of a spinal bone (lamina). This relieves compression on your spine.
• Microdiscectomy: Your surgeon removes part of a damaged disc through a very small incision.
• Oblique lateral interbody fusion: Your surgeon performs a spinal fusion through a tiny incision on your side.
• Posterior cervical laminectomy: Your surgeon makes an incision in the back of your neck. They remove part of a disc to relieve compression on your nerves.
• Scoliosis surgery: Surgeons may operate to correct an irregular curvature of the spine.
• Spinal tumor surgery: Surgeons try to remove as much of the tumor as possible without damaging surrounding areas. The surgical approach depends on the tumor type and location.
• Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: Your surgeon performs a lumbar spinal fusion through an incision in the back of your spine.

Conditions spine surgery treats

Doctors may recommend spine surgery to treat a variety of conditions that cause back and neck pain, including:

• Arthritis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Herniated discs
• Radiculopathy, including sciatica
• Sacroiliac joint problems
• Spinal fractures
• Spinal stenosis
• Spinal tumors
• Spondylolisthesis

Spine surgery side effects

It’s normal to have some temporary side effects after spine surgery, including:

• Dizziness
• Nausea from anesthesia
• Numbness or heaviness in your legs
• Pain

More severe complications are rare, but they are possible. These may include infections, blood clots or nerve damage. Your surgeon will discuss the possible risks with you before surgery.

Promoting excellent outcomes after spine surgery

At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, our spine surgeons use minimally invasive procedures and other advanced techniques to promote excellent outcomes. Our certified nurses and licensed therapists work with you to create individualized therapy plans that begin as soon as possible after surgery. From inpatient rehabilitation to outpatient services, we focus on helping you build strength and stamina.