SPINE SURGERY

WHAT IS SPINAL SURGERY?

Spinal surgery refers to surgical procedures performed on the bones, discs, and soft tissues of the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots, or to remove masses within the spine. So what is the spine? Let's first discuss its structure and function a bit. Then we'll explore what spinal surgery is, which areas it covers, what the symptoms of spinal disorders are, what spinal disorders exist, and how they are treated.

To put it simply, the spine is the structure that divides into the neck (cervical), upper back (thoracic), lower back (lumbar), sacrum, and coccyx (tailbone) sections, and it supports the human body in an upright position. The spine forms our body's main axis, and spinal surgery intervenes to correct structural abnormalities that occur along this axis. This answers the question of what spinal surgery is. Spinal surgery allows surgeons to loosen, move, stabilize, change, or, when necessary, replace vertebral structures. Spinal disorders are prevalent both in our society and globally, increasingly affecting more people. Factors threatening the health of our spine include inactivity, accidents, advanced age, poor posture, and excessive exertion. Between the vertebrae are facet joints and discs arranged in a sequential order. These enhance both the flexibility and durability of the spine.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SPINAL DISORDERS?

Spinal disorders can manifest with various symptoms, including pain, tenderness, sensory loss, imbalance, tingling, or numbness. Symptoms of spinal disorders include:

• Pain radiating to the arm and leg
• Sensory loss, tingling, fever, or burning sensation in the arm and leg
• Weakness in the arm and leg
• Tenderness in the spine
• Increased pain in the back, neck, or tailbone at night or during exertion
• Difficulty walking
• Poor posture
• Shoulder imbalance
• Sexual dysfunction
• Asymmetry in the chest, hump, or asymmetry in the back
• Symptoms such as loss of function in the intestines or bladder

CONDITIONS TO BE MONITORED BY SPINE SURGEONS

Spinal disorders sometimes require surgical intervention. Conditions that should be monitored and, if necessary, intervened by a spine surgeon include:

• Herniated disc
• Cervical disc herniation
• Thoracic disc herniation
• Spinal instability (spondylolisthesis)
• Lumbar spinal stenosis, cervical spinal stenosis
• Spine and spinal cord tumors, metastases to the spine,
• Scoliosis, kyphosis,
• Spinal fractures,
• Damage caused by accidents, falls, or impacts (spinal trauma),
• Diagnosis and treatment of all spinal-related diseases.

WHAT ARE SPINAL DISORDERS?

Spinal disorders can occur commonly and regardless of age. Various diseases are caused by different reasons among spinal disorders.

• Traumas: Spinal slippage and fractures due to osteoporosis
• Tumors: Benign or malignant tumors, spinal cord tumors, primary spinal tumors called spinal tumors, tumors that spread to the spine called metastatic tumors
• Spinal Curvature: Congenital curvatures with kyphosis and scoliosis
• Cell Damage: Neck and lumbar disc herniation, spinal aging, facet syndrome, cervical spinal stenosis (cervical spondylotic myelopathy), spinal canal stenosis, spinal instability (spondylolisthesis)
• Infections: Epidural abscess, spondylodiscitis, Pott's abscess, spinal cord abscess

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS REQUIRING SPINAL SURGERY

• Loss of urine and bowel control
• Severe pain
• Sexual dysfunction
• Loss of strength in arms or legs

METHODS USED IN SPINAL SURGERY

Percutaneous Endoscopic Surgery: A minimally invasive method developed in recent years that can be used in lumbar, cervical, and thoracic hernias, spinal canal stenosis, some spinal tumors, and metastases to the spine, and some spinal fractures. It involves performing surgery through a 7 mm skin incision using a working cannula with a camera at the tip, resulting in a 4 mm operating space. Since the camera is inside the surgical field, the surgeon's view is within the operation area. Due to minimal damage to surrounding tissues, patients can return to their normal lives very early.

Microscopic Surgery: It allows spinal surgeries to be performed under a microscope. All types of spinal surgery can be performed in this way. The microscope has been routinely used in spinal surgery for approximately 50 years.

WHAT IS MINIMAL INVASIVE SPINAL SURGERY?

As in all surgical fields, the trend in spinal surgery in recent years has been to perform procedures that previously caused significant tissue damage with smaller incisions and methods that cause less tissue damage. With surgeries performed in this way, patients spend less time in the hospital and can return to their social and work life early.

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