Helpful Things to Do Before Spine Surgery

Even though spinal surgery is considered a last resort in spine treatment, around 45 000 Australians undergo spine surgery every year.

When it comes to surgery, having a skilled surgeon is important but you also need to do your part. You can do quite a bit to prepare yourself both for surgery and the post-surgery period. It’s both your mental and physical state that can contribute to the spine surgery outcome.

For things to work out as best as they can, you should be aware of the things you can do before spine surgery. So, let’s see which helpful things you can do to get yourself surgery-ready.

1.     Get a second opinion

When it comes to huge surgeries such as spine surgery, getting a second opinion is a good idea. It has nothing to do with not trusting your surgeon, simply a second opinion can ease your mind and help you come to terms with what needs to be done.

So, getting a second opinion from an experienced spine surgeon from Brisbane is always a good idea. No one will blame you or make you feel bad about it. Having a second opinion, you will feel more confident about the diagnosis. And you’ll realize that the procedure is the only way to make things better.

2.     Inform yourself about the procedures

The worst thing you can do is go in for surgery without being prepared and informed. Spine surgery is a serious procedure that requires knowing what to expect and getting prepared both for surgery and the recovery period.

That’s why you should do as much research as possible, check out statistics on outcomes, and ask your surgeon all the questions you have. You should also read up on the recovery process at home, how to make it easier on yourself, and what to do and what not to do. Having all this information will ease pre-surgery anxiety.

3.     Stop smoking

You know by now how unhealthy smoking is. But smoking before, during, and after surgery can be even worse. The tobacco you smoke contains nicotine which can increase the risks of serious complications. Nicotine can prevent your bones to grow and heal properly, which in turn prolongs the recovery period and it can even cause infections.

People who smoke cigarettes, e-cigarettes, pipes, or any other type of tobacco are at a higher risk of either lung or heart complications during surgery. Make sure you inform your doctor if you’re a smoker.

Your physician will tell you which steps you can take to quit smoking or which nicotine replacements to use. The worst thing you can do is wait until the day of surgery to start thinking about quitting smoking.

4.     Lose weight

Being overweight or obese can also negatively affect your recovery period following the spine surgery. All the body weight can put quite a lot of stress on your spine. Unfortunately, 2 in every 3 adults are obese in Australia.

To prepare yourself for surgery and post-surgery, you should start your weight loss journey very early on. Just like quitting smoking, you shouldn’t wait until the last moment.

5.     Improve your diet

This leads us to our next tip, which is improving the diet. If you want to lose weight, you need to work on improving your nutrition and hydration. Good and healthy nutrition means having a balanced diet of protein, calories, fiber, and iron.

This will not only help you lose weight, but it will also make sure that you’re in good health before and after the procedure. A healthy diet will help your body recover better and faster.

6.     Prepare your house

There are two ways in which you can make sure that your home is prepared for life after surgery. First, you can make sure that all the chores are done – get the laundry done and make sure the house is clean. You won’t be able to deal with all these chores after surgery so make sure everything is in order.

Second, you should make sure that you put things you’ll need within your arm’s reach. These are things that you’ll be using on daily basis and since your movement will be limited, it will be helpful having all these items close.

These items usually include your phone, charger, remote, snacks, cups, books, and whatever else you consider necessary.

You must understand that spine surgery is a very complex procedure that requires a lot of preparation for it to have the best possible outcome. That means that you should take seriously the period before the surgery and do your best to get yourself prepared both mentally and physically.