Spine Surgery - NOW Health Network Spine Surgery

Dr. Ramesh Sahjpaul SPECIALIZATION: NEUROSURGERY, Vancouver, BC

Post Spinal Surgery Recovery educational video

Common types of spine surgery include:

Discectomy: Removes part of a damaged disc that’s pressing on a nerve.
Laminectomy: Removes part of the vertebral bone (the lamina) to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.
Spinal fusion: Joins two or more vertebrae together to stabilize the spine.
Artificial disc replacement: Replaces a damaged disc with an artificial one while preserving motion.
Minimally invasive spine surgery: Uses smaller incisions and specialized instruments, which may reduce recovery time for some patients.

Recovery depends on the type of surgery, your overall health, and the condition being treated. Some minimally invasive procedures may allow patients to go home the same day, while more complex surgeries, such as spinal fusion, can require several days in the hospital and months of rehabilitation.

As with any surgery, there are risks, including infection, bleeding, blood clots, nerve injury, spinal fluid leak, persistent pain, or the need for additional surgery. Your surgeon will discuss the specific risks and expected benefits based on your condition.

Spine surgery is a broad term for operations on the spine to treat conditions that cause pain, nerve compression, instability, deformity, or loss of function. Surgery is usually considered when non-surgical treatments (such as physical therapy, medications, or injections) have not provided sufficient relief, or when there is progressive nerve damage or an emergency condition.

Common reasons for spine surgery include:

Herniated disc
Spinal stenosis
Degenerative disc disease
Scoliosis
Spinal fractures
Spinal tumors or infections

Gordon Bohlmann, BSc (PT), CGIMS, OMT, BSc HMS, Physiotherapist, Vancouver, BC

What is Joint Replacement Therapy

During the procedure, the damaged portions of the hip joint are removed and replaced with prosthetic components made of metal, ceramic, or durable plastic. The surgery is most often recommended for patients with advanced Osteoarthritis, though it may also be used for fractures, rheumatoid arthritis, or other hip disorders.

Dr. Ramesh Sahjpaul SPECIALIZATION: NEUROSURGERY, Vancouver, BC

What Can MRI Reveal About the Back Pain educational video

Many spine surgeons now screen patients for emotional well-being before surgery. This isn’t to determine whether the pain is “all in your head”—it’s because treating both the physical and psychological aspects of recovery can improve results.

Strategies that may help include:

Discussing any history of depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions with your surgical team.
Continuing prescribed mental health treatment unless your healthcare providers advise otherwise.
Working with a psychologist or counselor, especially if you’ve had chronic pain for a long time.
Following your rehabilitation plan and maintaining realistic expectations about recovery.
Prioritizing sleep, gradual physical activity, and social support during recovery.

If you’re asking because you or someone else is preparing for spine surgery, I can also explain:

how depression or anxiety may affect surgical outcomes,
whether mental health conditions can delay or prevent surgery,
what to expect emotionally during recovery, or
ways to prepare mentally before the operation.

Mental health and spine surgery are closely connected in ways that can affect both recovery and overall outcomes.

Here are some of the main connections:

Before surgery: Conditions such as Depression, Anxiety disorder, or chronic stress can influence how much pain a person experiences and how they cope with it. People with untreated mental health conditions may report higher pain levels and may have a slower recovery after surgery.
After surgery: Recovery from spine surgery can be emotionally challenging. Pain, reduced mobility, temporary dependence on others, sleep disruption, and uncertainty about recovery can contribute to anxiety or depression, even in people without a previous mental health history.
Pain and mood: Chronic back or neck pain and mental health have a two-way relationship. Persistent pain can worsen mood, while depression and anxiety can amplify the perception of pain.
Recovery and rehabilitation: People who receive appropriate mental health support before and after surgery often have better participation in physical therapy, improved quality of life, and greater satisfaction with their surgical outcomes.