Foramenotomy


There is a feeling of pain in the back which occurs suddenly and without warning. Though this might not be something serious, it is also not something that should be left neglected. Pains in the back are a common incident and occurs to nearly every person. However, the number of people who have to undergo surgery to help them get rid of their back pains is just 5%. Surgeons do not recommend surgery in the back unless it is absolutely necessary like when the discs of the spinal cord have slipped out of their place. Nature has designed the 32 bones in our spine in such a way that they are flexible.

This is what facilitates us to bend down without any problems during the course of our day to day activities. If you are feeling a pain in the back, the doctor will generally administer some anti inflammatory drugs as the first course of treatment. In most cases the pain is due to inflamed muscles or tissue layers and these cases get resolved by anti inflammatory drugs and by massaging the affected area with hot foment. In case the first course of treatment does not cause the pain to subside, the doctor might advise for an x-ray of the region and depending upon the outcome might request for stretching exercises or might request the patient to opt in for a check in by a surgeon.

It is upon the surgeon to decide whether surgery is required in the back or not. Our spinal cord is a jungle of nerves and each of them play a vital part in transmitting signals from our brain to our limbs. Back pain generally occurs when these nerves get pinched or pressure is applied on them due to any reason. There are various types of surgeries that the surgeon can resort to for resolving the problems of pain in the back. One of such procedures is foramenotomy.

This particular type of surgery is conducted for treating pains in the neck or in the arm when the pain is due to a nerve that is trapped in the neck between small outgrowths of bones called as osteophytes. This type of pain generally occurs due to spondylosis (a type of degenerative disease). This surgery is conducted under general anesthesia with the patient kept unconscious during its course. The surgical procedure involves in making a tiny incision in the midline of the neck after which the muscles are retracted so that the bones on the neck can be seen.

The x-ray conducted prior to surgery shows the level of outgrowth of the bones which are responsible for the symptoms. Generally an operating microscope is used to provide a better view to the surgeon. The piece of bone that is in close proximity to the nerve is taken out using a high speed curettes and drill. Once this procedure is done, the nerve root is checked to ensure that it is free. Once confirmed, the wound is stitched with absorbable stitches. The patient is generally discharged 3 to 7 days post surgery.

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