For this post, Dr. Steven Thain DC of Disc Centers of America- Bellevue shares his thoughts on the risks of back surgery…

 

Back Surgery & Pain

As a provider, when I learned of this statistic it SHOCKED me to my core. Nearly 1 in 50 back-surgery patients die within three years of surgery.

According to Reuters Health (The Doctors Channel Daily News Cast), the death rates are significantly higher when analgesics (painkillers) are involved. Death is most commonly due to post-operative infections and complications from prescription medications.

And as we know, the CDC states that deaths from prescription opioids in general—drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone—have more than quadrupled since 1999.

 

 

Cage Devices

With back surgery procedures, the mortality rate increases sevenfold when cage devices are used in conjunction with painkillers.

That information literally stunned me. Given that over 1.1 million surgeries occur in our country each year that means there are literally thousands dying from the complications of back surgery.

According to Spine-health.com, Spine fusions are unique among all surgical procedures because they are the only type of surgery in which the goal is to hold 2 bones apart while encouraging them to grow back together.

A cage is placed in the inter-body space and packed with bone graft to help stimulate bone growth. It restores the height of the spine and stabilizes the vertebrae as they fuse together.

Unfortunately, failed back fusion surgery syndrome may occur if the bony fusion fails to grow.

 

Reducing Mortality Rates

Non-surgical decompression has an 86-91% success rate. If people would try that FIRST, we literally can save thousands of lives each year.

Although some people do require surgery most do not. The McClure study showed that 90% of pre-surgical cases, when following protocols established by the International Medical Advisory Board for Spinal Decompression, NO LONGER needed surgery.

Learn About Non-Invasive Spinal Treatment Options- How it Works

 

 

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