Possible Complications

General Risks

Surgery does carry with it the general risks associated with having an anaesthetic. These will depend to some degree upon your age, your general state of health and any other specific medical problems that affect you. These risks are low but should not be ignored and it must always be remembered that some complications, although rare, can be very serious and certain unforeseen circumstances can even lead to death. However, clinical experience and many studies show us that these risks are very unusual and for the vast majority of patients surgery proceeds entirely uneventfully. If you have concerns about your specific risks or feel any issues have not been answered please feel free to ask at any stage.

Risks related to the Surgery

There may be certain risks associated with any procedures (for example spinal decompression) undertaken at the same time as dynamic stabilization. Please take a look at the relevant section for those procedures.

There is a very small risk of a haematoma (blood clot) forming under the skin but if this does occur it will usually resolve spontaneously. A drain will be inserted to minimise this risk. As with all operations there is a small chance of a wound infection occurring.

Risks arising from the use of pedicle screws and rods

There is a small risk of problems related to the use of screws in the spine. Although inserting screws into the spine sounds very alarming the use of pedicle screws has become very routine. Nonetheless, the screws must be inserted very close to the nerve roots in the spine and there is a small risk of nerve root injury. There is also a small risk that the screws may loosen or break. If this occurs further surgery may be required.

Risks arising from the use of cages

Removing the disc and inserting cages through the spinal canal does require that the nerve roots are moved out of the way and they are very carefully protected during the surgery. However, the nerve roots are quite vulnerable structures and there is a small risk of injury. If this occurs it could affect one leg, resulting in a patch of numbness, some weakness of certain muscles or sciatic pain. There is even a very small risk of injury to the nerves responsible for control of the bladder and bowel.

Risks arising from attempting to fuse the spine

The principle risk here is that a fusion may fail to develop. The risk is small but, just as sometimes fractures don't mend, occasionally a fusion may fail. This is called a pseudarthrosis and may require further surgery. The risk is certainly higher in smokers and if you do smoke you would be very strongly recommended to stop well before your surgery (and not start again afterwards). The risk is also higher if you have had surgery before. The risk of a failure of fusion is higher if more than one level is being fused. In certain cases Mr Boeree may recommend the use of Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) to improve the chances for a successful fusion.

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