Patients suffering with serious back pain or neck pain sometimes opt for spinal surgery when they believe they have exhausted all options for treatment. The risks and complications of surgery are real and must be considered seriously. We encourage everyone to become informed about non-surgical spinal decompression, before agreeing to undergo the surgeon’s knife. If you are considering spinal (back) surgery to relieve your low back pain or neck pain, you must read on. This article discusses the specific risks and complications of spinal fluid leaks.

Spinal Surgery
Spinal surgery of the cervical (upper), thoracic (middle) or lumbar (lower) spinal regions is usually performed to remove any excess bone or soft tissue that may be pressing upon spinal nerves, which govern the functions of many organ systems and extremities. It is undue pressure on nerves that is the source of serious, chronic back pain and neck pain. Any number of conditions may be the cause of the unnatural pressure: bulging or ruptured disc, bone spur formation, bone fragments from trauma, chronic degeneration.

There are different spinal surgery procedures. The most common surgeries are microdiscectomy, laminectomy and spine fusion.

The fact that spinal surgery occurs so close to the actual spinal cord and affected spinal nerves makes it a very delicate procedure. One false move by the surgeon can cause lifelong nerve damage or even paralysis. Besides human error, there are real and serious risks to spinal surgery that must be understood and carefully considered. Know the risks and potential outcomes before you make a final decision to allow a surgeon to operate on your spine.

Spinal Fluid Leaks
The spinal cord and nerves are covered by a protective watertight sac of tissue (dura mater). During a spinal surgery, it is not uncommon for a rupture or tear to occur in this dura mater. If this happens, spinal fluid will begin to leak. If the tear is noticed during the surgery, it is repaired and usually heals uneventfully. If a tear occurs and is not noticed, the tear may heal on its own. But if it does not, spinal fluid may continue to leak. This will cause problems later. Leaking spinal fluid may cause a spinal headache. It can increase the risk of infection of the spinal fluid (spinal meningitis). If the leak does not seal itself off fairly quickly on its own, a second operation may be necessary to repair the tear.

Recommendation Before You Sign Up for Back Surgery
At Back Clinics of Canada we see patients who have undergone surgery on their spine. Most of these post-surgical patients all tried just about every conventional back pain treatment available — physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, bed rest, pain medication — to heal their spines and free them from their pain. Then they opted for surgery because they believed they exhausted all their pain treatment options. These patients come to ourToronto back clinic because they’re not happy with their surgery results and still live with serious pain.

In most cases, the patients suffer from a spinal condition that could be treated with non-surgical spinal decompression.

Before you sign up for spinal surgery consider non-surgical spinal decompression. It’s non-invasive, non-surgical, involves no drugs or medication. It has been successful for so many patients, including those who had failed surgery. (Sadly though, post-surgical patients who’ve had a spinal fusion with hardware or other implants in their spines, complete laminectomies or vertebral fractures, are NOT candidates for our care — all the more reason to consider this treatment.) Remember that once you’ve had surgery you can never go back.

The goal of Back Clinics of Canada is to help as many Canadians as we can to avoid back surgery, if possible, and live a pain-free life. When considering options for care remember that the success of non-surgical spinal decompression is high and risks are practically negligible, especially when compared to the serious risks and complications of spinal surgery. Spinal surgery is a good medical tool when it is appropriate. Surgery offers no guarantees. Please, consider spinal decompression first, and consider surgery as a LAST RESORT.

Back Clinics of Canada encourages patients with serious back and neck pain to at least undergo a free consultation and examination. Contact us today and learn if you qualify for non-surgical spinal decompression.

You deserve a pain-free life!