Back surgery (spinal surgery) at Spire Wellesley Hospital

At Spire Wellesley 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.

We have many expert nurses and physiotherapists who’ll provide you with the aftercare you need to make a full recovery.

At Spire Wellesley 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 – used to treat a slipped disc by removing a damaged or worn disc
• Laminectomy – used to relieve pressure on the spinal cord by removing part of a protruding or fractured vertebra
• 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. This includes synthetic bone substitutes for spinal fusion so there’s no need to remove and use bone from elsewhere in your body

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

Getting here

Spire Wellesley Hospital is a couple of miles from Southend town centre, just off the A127. We’re a short taxi ride from Southend train station, which has a fast and regular connection to London Liverpool Street. We have free on-site parking available for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

During your consultations, you’ll meet one of our expert consultants who’ll:

• Discuss your medical history
• Recommend tests and scans if required, such as an X-ray, an MRI or a CT scan, so they can look at your back in more detail
• Discuss which type of surgery you’ll need for your condition and what it’ll involve
• Explain about the general anaesthetic and how it may affect you

Your appointments will take place in one of our 16 consultation rooms which are all accessible making things easier for you if you have difficulty walking. These consultations give you an opportunity to ask questions and get advice about what’s best for you.

Once you’ve decided to go ahead with back surgery, your consultant and your physiotherapist 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 37 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 our lounge while you have your operation.

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 our rooms have:

• TV
• En-suite bathroom
• Armchair
• Safe

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: