Every patient wants to be the ideal candidate for spine surgery in the event they need to undergo an operation in the future, and every surgeon wants to operate on ideal candidates because they carry a reduced risk of certain complications. But what makes a good candidate for spine surgery? You might assume someone who is in great physical health, and while that certainly helps, it’s far from the only factor that determines if someone is or isn’t an ideal candidate for spine surgery. Below, we take a look at what makes someone an ideal candidate for spine surgery.
Their Age
Age isn’t always a great indicator of health, as we’ve seen people thriving in their eighties and in poor health by their sixties, but when we’re younger, it’s generally easier for our spine and our bodies to bounce back faster from the trauma of surgery. All factors being relatively the same, a 60-year-old is a more ideal candidate for a herniated disc than an 80-year-old. That doesn’t mean the 80-year-old can’t have surgery, but age does help to predict your ability to bounce back from an operation, and being at or under a certain age can help you recover faster after surgery.
Weight
If you’re obese or overweight, your body will naturally have to displace more stress, and oftentimes this task falls upon your spine. Your back will be in an injured state following an operation, which means excess weight could complicate recovery or slow the process. The ideal candidate will have a healthy weight, or be committed to working towards a healthy weight as their surgical date approaches.
Related Health Conditions
An ideal candidate will not have any other health conditions that could complicate surgery or recovery. Again, this doesn’t mean that the surgeon will not go through with the operation if you are suffering from conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, but these factors will need to be accounted for and monitored. Ideally, a patient would not have these conditions, or they’d be working to manage them appropriately leading up to and after surgery.
Likelihood Surgery Addresses The Problem
You’re only going to be considered an ideal candidate if your surgeon truly believes that the operation will reduce or alleviate your pain. If pinpointing the nerve issue is difficult, or surgery is unlikely to fix the root cause, then it’s going to be hard to find a surgeon willing to operate.
Your Willingness To Work To Recover
Doctors also want to operate on patients who want to put in the work it takes to get better. You’re not going to feel better after the operation if you just lay in bed for 12 weeks. You’re going to need to participate in physical therapy and do your recovery exercises every day. Surgeons will convey their expectations, because the ideal candidate understands that the operation is just a small part of their recovery journey, and they’ll need to put in some work of their own.
Tried And Failed At Conservative Care
Finally, the ideal candidate, in most instances, will have pursued conservative care to no avail. Surgery is rarely the first step in a care plan, and because it’s a big undertaking, we only want to operate if other options are not proving successful. If you’ve truly given it your all during at least six weeks of conservative care, then you may be considered an ideal candidate for surgery to correct a lingering issue.
To talk with a doctor about your back pain, or to learn about your spine surgery options, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.
