In today’s medical world both neurosurgeons and specially trained orthopedic surgeons are able to do spine surgery. Both types of doctors are equally knowledgeable about spines and how to conduct operations on them. Spines are intricate pieces of the body. The part of your spine that needs work will denote what type of specialist you need.
For example, neurosurgeons are usually better trained in intradural surgery. This type of surgery goes into the spinal cord. Often, this type of surgery is used to remove sac tumors. Orthopedic surgeons tend to be better at correcting spinal deformities. Either way, both types of doctors go through many years of rigorous training.
The intense training in spinal surgery was not common until about 15 to 20 years ago. If you are going in for spinal surgery, you may want to be sure that your surgeon has gone through the spine fellowship at the end of their school career. Making sure that you are dealing with a qualified surgeon will give you better odds for a successful surgery. Most back surgeries fail because of an incorrect initial diagnosis.
If you are going in for spine surgery, you are likely already in pain, and a failed operation is likely to make that worse. Do yourself a favor and check credentials; you only get one spine. If you are currently seeing a spine specialist that has a lot of experience in lumbar disorders, but you have a slipped disk up around your shoulders, you will want to be referred to a spine surgeon that has specialized experience with cervical spine surgeries.
The point being here that not all spine surgeons are capable of the same things. Spine surgeons all work on in and around the spine. The spine is a large construction, there are many parts, and many defects and maladies that it can take on. When one surgeon finds that they are better at correcting lower back disorders, then they will likely stick with that specialty.
One of the most common causes of back pain is a slipped or herniated disk in the upper back and shoulders area. This can occur at any point along the spine. This happens when there is too much repetitive pressure on any particular point in the back. It can also occur when too much pressure is applied all at one time, like in a car accident. In these cases, a cervical spine surgeon has a couple of options. They can fuse the disk to others around it, or they can remove the disk material.
As you can see, spine surgeons do not do it all. Most of them tend to have their own specialties that they are good at. When you go to a spine surgeon in NJ be sure to figure out what your surgeon’s specialty is and if they are the right doctor for you. Save yourself the pain of a botched surgery by just asking a few simple questions. You won’t be stepping on anyone’s toes or hurting anyone’s feelings. Take care of yourself.
