What Are The Risks Of Lumbar Disc Surgery?
Infections are rare after surgery. It usually occurs in the incision area, but sometimes it can go deeper and spread to other sections. If your surgical wound becomes hot, red, inflamed, and takes longer to heal, it has an infection. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection.
Risks associated with anesthesia; most surgical procedures require anesthesia before the procedure can be carried out. The most common type is local anesthesia. It is usually administered by injecting the drug around the surgical area to make it numb. However, if the surgery is extensive and more complex, general anesthesia is used.
With general anesthesia, you are put to sleep completely during the whole process through intravenous lines. Most spinal surgeries require general anesthesia, and some people might develop problems with it. This could be due to reactions from the drugs used or even from other underlying medical conditions. Before going for surgery, make sure to discuss potential complications with the anesthesiologist.
Complications may include:
- Damage to the nerve root
- Building up of fluids in lungs resulting in pneumonia
- Leakage of spinal fluid
- Bleeding
- Bladder or bowel incontinence
- Persistent pain despite surgery