Back surgery (spinal surgery) at Spire Harpenden Hospital

At Spire Harpenden Hospital, our orthopaedic (bone and muscle) consultants and neurosurgeons have wide experience in performing back surgery in our clean and modern facilities. They’ll offer you a treatment and recovery plan that’s personalised to you, to relieve your symptoms and help you get back to your everyday activities. Our dedicated nurses and physiotherapists will provide you with expert aftercare to help you get the most from your operation.

At Spire Harpenden Hospital, we offer trusted and clinically proven surgical techniques for a variety of conditions. Your consultant will be able to recommend which type of surgery is best for you. This may include one or more of the following:

• Discectomy – removal of part of a problematic disc or disc material
• Spinal decompression – removal of bone and tissue to relieve pressure in the spine
• Spinal fusion – used to strengthen your back when you have wear and tear or damage

We’re able to offer surgical techniques and innovations that have been designed to improve outcomes. These include:

• Minimally invasive discectomy, which uses smaller incisions than traditional techniques, resulting in faster recovery
• Synthetic bone substitutes are available which means your consultant doesn’t need to remove bone from elsewhere in your body to fuse your vertebrae

We also have four laminar flow operating theatres that regulate air flow to minimise the risk of infection.

Getting here

We have excellent road links to the M1 and A1(M) and are five minutes from Harpenden train station. Other public transport options are available. We also have free parking on-site for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

Your initial consultation will take place in one of our 27 accessible private rooms, so don’t worry if you have difficulty walking. During your consultations, we’ll:

• Ask about your medical history
• Say whether you need an X-ray, and/or an MRI or CT scan so your consultant can examine your back in more detail if you haven’t been diagnosed yet
• Tell you about the particular surgical method your consultant recommends and what it'll involve
• Explain about the general anaesthetic and how it may affect you
• Give you a chance to ask any questions you have about your surgery

Once you’ve decided to go ahead with back surgery, your consultant will explain your recovery plan.

On the day of your procedure, you’ll meet your healthcare team, including your anaesthetist and your consultant again. You’ll be shown to one of our 64 large, bright, private rooms. You’ll be with us for one to four days, depending on the type of surgery you have.

If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in your room while you have your surgery.

Before surgery, you’ll be given a general anaesthetic, so you’ll be unconscious throughout the procedure. Once it’s taken effect, your consultant will begin your surgery.

After surgery, you can begin your recovery in your private room. All of our rooms have:

• TV
• Window
• En-suite bathroom
• Table over bed
• Side table
• Telephone

It’s normal to feel some pain or discomfort after back surgery, so to make your recovery easier, you’ll be given:

• Medications to help you manage pain, prevent infection and reduce the risk of clotting
• Sessions with one of our physiotherapists, who'll give you an exercise plan to help you get active again, plus a guide to how long your recovery will take

Although everybody’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline for back surgery: