Hi ralfborchert,
Each individual's risk assessment prior to surgery will be different,
but in general the risks are the same that one would expect from any
major surgery (blood loss, infection, pneumonia, etc), but some
specific to spinal surgery would include paralysis, blood clots,
muscle weakness, persistent pain, and loss of bowel or bladder
control. Please click on the following links for full details.
NIH - Medline Plus
Risks
Risks for any anesthesia include the following:
* Reactions to medications
* Problems breathing
Risks for any surgery include the following:
* Bleeding
* Infection
Additional risks of spinal surgery include the following:
* Nerve damage leading to paralysis
* Blood clots
* Muscle weakness
* Loss of bowel or bladder control
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002973.htm#Risks
General Complications
* Anesthesia Complications
* Bleeding
* Blood Clots
* Dural Tear
* Lung Problems
* Infection
* Persistent Pain
Nerve Complications
* Nerve Injury
* Spinal Cord Injury
* Sexual Dysfunction
Implant & Fusion Complications
* Delayed Union or Nonunion
* Hardware Fracture
* Implant Migration
* Pseudarthrosis
* Transitional Syndrome
http://www.allaboutbackpain.com/html/spine_general/spine_general_complications.html
The most common complications after spinal surgery with corresponding
nursing interventions are listed in Table 2.
[see Table 2]:
Physiolgic Variables Associated with Complications of Spinal Surgery
Early: Post-Operative Hospitalization Phase
* Complication: Atelectasis/Pneumonia
* Complication: Deep Vein Thrombosis
* Complication: Dysphagia and Hoarseness
* Complication: Hemorrhage
* Complication: Ileus
* Complication: Spinal Fluid Leak
* Complication: Upper Airway Obstruction
Late: Post Discharge Phase
* Complication: Arachnoiditis
* Complication: Epidural Fibrosis
* Complication: Non-Union
Variable: May Occur Acutely or Late
* Complication: Infection
http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article2541.html
"With any surgery, there is the risk of complications. When surgery is
done near the spine and spinal cord, these complications (if they
occur) can be very serious. Complications could involve subsequent
pain and impairment and the need for additional surgery. You should
discuss the complications associated with surgery with your doctor
before surgery. The list of complications provided here is not
intended to be a complete list of complications and is not a
substitute for discussing the risks of surgery with your doctor. Only
your doctor can evaluate your condition and inform you of the risks of
any medical treatment he or she may recommend."
Anesthesia Complications
"The vast majority of surgical procedures require that some type of
anesthesia be done before the surgery.."
Thrombophlebitis
"When blood clots form inside the veins of the legs, it is referred to
as Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT). This is a common problem following
many types of surgical procedures."
Lung Problems
Infection
"Any time surgery is performed, there is a risk of infection. However,
infections occur in less than 1% of spinal surgeries..."
Hardware Fracture
"In many different types of spinal operations, metal screws, plates,
and rods are used as part of the procedure to hold the vertebrae in
alignment while the surgery heals. These metal devices are called
"hardware". Once the bone heals, the hardware is usually not doing
much of anything. Sometimes before the surgery is completely healed
the hardware can either break - or move from the correct position.
This is called a "hardware fracture". If this occurs it may require a
second operation to either remove the hardware or replace the
hardware."
Implant Migration
"Implant migration is a term used to describe the fact that the
implant has moved from where the surgeon placed it initially..."
Spinal Cord Injury
"Any time you operate on the spine, there is some risk of injuring the
spinal cord..."
Persistent Pain
"Some spinal operations are simply unsuccessful. One of the most
common complications of spinal surgery is that it does not get rid of
all of your pain..."
Sexual Dysfunction
"The spinal cord and spinal nerves carry the nerve signals that allow
the rest of your body to function, feel sensation - and even have sex.
Damage to the spinal cord and the nerves around the spinal cord can
cause many problems. If a nerve is damaged that connects to the pelvic
region, it could cause sexual dysfunction."
Transitional Syndrome
"One of the interesting things about how the spine works is that it
behaves like a chain of repeating segments. When the entire spine is
healthy, each segment works together to share the load throughout the
spinal column. Each segment works with its neighboring segment to
share the stresses imposed by movements and forces acting on the
spine. However, when one or two segments are not working properly, the
neighboring segments have to take on more of the load. It is the
segment closest to the non-working segment that gets most of the extra
stress. This means that if one or more levels are fused anywhere in
the spine, the spinal segment next to where the surgery was performed
begins to take on more stress. Over time, this can lead to increased
wear and tear to this segment, eventually causing pain from the
damaged segment. This is called a transitional syndrome because it
occurs where the transition from a normal area of the spine to the
abnormal area that has been fused."
Pseudoarthrosis
"The term "pseudo" means false and "arthrosis" refers to joint. The
term "pseudoarthrosis" then means false joint. A surgeon uses this
term to describe either a fractured bone that has not healed or an
attempted fusion that has not been successful..."
http://www.spineuniversity.com/public/spinesub.asp?id=69
What are the Potential Complications of Cervical Spine Surgery?
"As with any operation, there are risks involved with cervical spine
surgery. Possible complications include injury to your spinal cord,
nerves, esophagus, carotid artery or vocal cords; non-healing of the
bony fusion; failure to improve; instrumentation breakage and/or
failure; infection; bone graft site pain. Any of these complications
may lead to more surgery.
Other complications may include phlebitis in your legs, blood clots in
the lungs or urinary problems.
Rare complications include paralysis and possibly death. Your doctor
will discuss potential risks with you before asking you to sign a
consent form."
http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1545.html
I was glad to work on this for you. If you have any questions, please
post a clarification request and wait for me to respond before
closing/rating my answer.
Thank you,
hummer
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