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Back and Neck Surgery (Spinal Fusion)
An orthopedic surgeon usually performs this surgery, which requires a hospital stay. Recovery time will vary, and depends upon the patient, the extent of the injury, and the judgment and expertise of the physician.
Back Surgery
Back surgery involves removal of all or part of a vertebra or disk in order to relieve pressure and pain on the nerves in the spine. A vertebra is one of 33 small bones making up the spine. Disks are the cushioning between the vertebrae that prevent the bones from coming into contact with each other.
A herniated disk is one that has ruptured or bulged from a tear in the disk covering. If the herniated disk presses on a nerve, surgery may be required to relieve the pressure and the pain associated with it.
Surgery may include:
Back surgery is usually performed by an orthopedic surgeon, and is done under general anesthesia. It is an inpatient procedure, which means that it requires a hospital stay. The surgery will relieve pain and allow the back to heal. Recovery time is typically 1-3 months.
Bunion Correction
A bunion is an enlargement of the joint at the base and the side of the big toe and consists of a bony growth. Most commonly seen in women, it is thought that wearing narrow pointed-toed shoes is the main cause. However, bunions are also known to be hereditary and are even found in societies where no footwear is ever worn, leading to the conclusion of inherited foot problems.
Surgical removal of a bunion is usually done while the patient is under general anesthesia and rarely requires a hospital stay. A podiatrist will make an incision along the bones of the big toe into the foot. The deformed joint and bones are repaired, and the bones are stabilized with a pin and/or cast.
Different procedures include:
Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery
Carpal tunnel release is a surgery performed by an orthopedic and/or hand surgeon to relieve hand and wrist pain caused by the compression of the medial nerve at the wrist. The medial nerve and the tendons are located in one wall of the carpal tunnel. The other wall holds the bones of the wrist. Most conditions are caused by wrist fracture, rheumatoid arthritis, or overuse of the wrist.
The surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis using either local or general anesthesia. The surgery can be performed two different ways:
The recovery time after the surgery depends on how damaged the nerve was before the surgery.
Hip Replacement Surgery
Hip replacement surgery is performed by an orthopedic surgeon to replace all or part of the hip joint with an artificial device known as a prosthesis. The prosthesis consists of three parts that include a cup that replaces the hip socket, a metal or ceramic ball that replaces the head of the femur, and a metal stem that is attached to the shaft of the bone to add stability.
Reasons for the surgery include severe pain and/or osteoarthritis, hip fractures or hip joint tumors.
Under general anesthesia, the surgeon will make an incision over the buttocks to expose the hip joint. The head of the femur is cut out and removed. The rest of the hip socket is cleaned out and removed of all bone and cartilage. The surgeon then places the new socket and ball in the area. The surgery usually takes two to three hours.
Most patients are discharged within ten days of having the surgery. Full recovery can take three to six months, depending on the type of surgery, the patient's overall health, and the type of rehabilitation.
As younger patients are having hip replacements, revision surgery is becoming more common as the wearing away of the joint surface becomes a problem after 15 to 20 years. The revision surgery can also be performed for fractures, partal dislocation, and infection.
Knee Repair Surgery (Arthroscopic ACL Meniscal Repair)
ACL meniscal repairs are typically performed using arthroscopic surgery where the physician uses a camera or arthroscope inserted in small incisions in the joint. The physician is able to insert instruments through the incisions to make repairs.
An orthopedic surgeon usually performs this type of surgery. Almost all surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis. The surgery can be performed under local, regional (specific area), or general anesthesia.
The surgery is performed on the medial (the middle part) or lateral (the side part) area of the knee. The surgery can be performed on both areas at the same time. Some procedures included in this surgery are:
Knee Replacement Surgery
Knee replacement surgery is the placement of an artificial knee joint. The most common cause of knee pain is arthritis. It can be osteoarthritis, which normally occurs after the age of 50, rheumatoid arthritis (where too much synovial fluid is produced, overflowing the joint space), or post-traumatic arthritis following a knee injury.
Each artificial joint contains the following:
The knee can be attached by either cemented prosthesis, which is where the cement proxy attaches to the bone, or uncemented prosthesis, which is where there is a mesh on the surface that allows bone to grow into prosthesis.
The surgery is performed by an orthopedic surgeon using general or local anesthesia in a hospital setting. The surgeon begins by making an incision on the front of the knee to allow access to the joint. A tool is placed on the femur to keep proper alignment while the diseased bone is cut away from the end of the femur. The surgeon then prepares the top of the tibia bone by using another cutting tool. The undersurface of the kneecap is removed and the surgeon places the femoral component, the tibia component, and then the patellar component.
This procedure requires a hospital stay of several days.
Shoulder Surgery
Depending on the extent of damage, repairing the shoulder could involve:
An orthopedic surgeon usually performs this type of surgery as either open surgery (larger incision to expose the joint) or arthroscopic surgery (where the physician uses a camera or arthroscope inserted in small incisions in the joint). Shoulder surgery is done under general anesthesia. Recovery time can be from one to six months, depending on the procedure and severity of injury. For many patients of shoulder surgery, physical therapy may help them regain range of motion and strength.
Thyroid Removal Surgery (Thyroidectomy)
Thyroidectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid gland. A thyroidectomy can be used to correct conditions such as hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid function), thyroid cancer, and nontoxic goiter.
The surgery is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia. An incision is made through the skin in the low collar area of the neck. Incisions can also be made near the sternum (breastbone). The muscles in the area are spread aside to reveal the thyroid gland. All or part of the gland will be cut free from the surrounding tissues and removed. The surgeon will then use stitches to bring the neck muscles back together and the outer incision will be closed. A suction catheter is inserted near the incision to help drain any accumulating fluid. The catheter is removed within 24 hours, and most patients leave the hospital in one or two days after the surgery.
Tonsils Removal Surgery (Tonsillectomy)
Tonsillectomy is the surgical removal of the tonsils. Tonsils are glands located on both sides of the opening to the throat) that serve as protection against infections. When the tonsils become enlarged or inflamed, they can cause infections in the throat and the ear and can obstruct breathing. Enlarged adenoids (lymphatic tissue located in the back of the throat) can also obstruct breathing and can be removed at this time. This is called an adenoidectomy.
An ear, nose and throat surgeon (ENT) performs the operation, usually in an outpatient setting. While the patient is under general anesthesia, the surgeon uses a device to hold the mouth open to expose the tonsils and/or the adenoids. The tonsils are either cut away with an instrument or burned away using cautery. Some surgeons will chose to cauterize the adenoids instead of removing them, because cautery heals naturally without stitches and has a minimum of blood loss. The recovery can take up to two weeks. The patient may have some throat and ear pain the first few days. The use of ice packs, sucking on ice chips and eating ice cream can help provide comfort.
Trans-urethral Bladder Surgery
Transurethral bladder surgery is performed to repair the bladder, to place incisions or insertions for drainage, and to remove cysts and tumors. For this surgery, a cystoscope (a tube with a tiny camera used to perform tests and surgeries) is inserted through the urethra into the bladder. This procedure is performed under regional or general anesthesia. No abdominal incision is necessary. After surgery, the patient is usually released the same day or after an overnight stay.
During this procedure, it is possible to irrigate and evaluate clots, perform biopsies, inject directly to tissue, remove tissue, use cryosurgery or laser procedures to remove tumors, or insert stents. The surgeon may also perform a meatotomy, which is an incision to enlarge the opening.
Bone Marrow Biopsy
A bone marrow biopsy can be an aspiration, a needle biopsy, or both. A local anesthetic is applied to numb the skin and the tissue down to the surface of the bone. A special needle is then used to penetrate the outer shell of the bone. Once inside, the center part of needle is replaced by a syringe and the liquid is collected. For a biopsy, the center of the needle is not replaced and the needle cuts a core that is collected by the needle. The core is extracted and prepared for examination by a pathologist.
Since the area is very small, usually a bandage is applied and the patient is released.
Bone Marrow Transplant
The patient is given high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation to destroy the diseased cells prior to the implantation or transplantation. The cells and/or marrow are then injected directly into the patient's vein. This procedure is done in the patient's hospital room and does not require an operating room.
The name of the procedure depends the source of the healthy bone marrow (or stem cells). The healthy bone marrow (or stem cells) may be taken from:
• the patient prior to chemotherapy or radiation treatment (autograft or transplantation-autologous),
• a donor who is not an identical twin (allograft or transplantion-allogenic), or
• an identical twin (syngenetic or transplantation-syngenetic).
Brain Surgery (Craniotomy)
The patient may achieve partial recovery from brain surgery in one to four weeks; full recovery may take up to eight weeks, depending on patient health, the extent of the disease or injury, and the surgical procedures used by the physician.
Risks for any surgery are:
Additional risks of brain surgery are:
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