Your Role in Surgery and Recovery

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Did you know that the role of the patient before, during, and after spinal surgery is as important as the role of the surgeon and the surgical staff?

Some responsibilities are obvious. For instance, you must make sure that you are in the right place at the right time for your surgery. You must not eat after midnight on the day before surgery. This is not negotiable, and includes all food and drink. The number of people who show up on the day of the surgery only to have it delayed or cancelled because they had their usual cup of coffee in the morning would surprise you.

But some things might not seem as obvious, such as making sure that you fully understand your diagnosis, the goals of surgical treatment, the process of rehabilitation and recovery, the possibility that things might go wrong, and how you can work effectively with your surgeon to make sure that you get the best possible outcome.

Before Surgery

Prior to spinal surgery, patients should focus on nutrition, physical and mental health. If you think of surgery as the "big game" and the patient as the athlete, there is a lot of training that occurs prior to playing and winning. Statistically, patients who smoke, are overweight, or in poor health and mental condition up to the time of surgery will not have as good of an outcome as those that do not. Surgery puts an incredible strain on the entire body. If the body goes into surgery in an already weakened state, it will have a much harder time recovering after surgery.

The Day of Surgery

Patients who come in prepared with paperwork and an overall concept of how the day is going to play out will have a much easier experience than those who do not. When you undergo an operation, there are things that are within your control and things that are not. This is an important distinction, because it will help you to focus on the things that you can do to make sure that you have the best possible outcome, and it will also allow you to leave certain things in the hands of the doctors who care for you. With this in mind, it is very important that you trust your surgeon and you feel confident about his or her decision-making.

Be sure to talk to your spinal surgeon about realistic expectations for the speed of your recovery and the amount of pain you will feel. The amount of time you spend preparing and understanding what to expect will be a direct reflection on your recovery. If you leave everything up to your surgeon and hospital staff, you could have a rough recovery.

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