Procedure

Corpectomy

Back pain affects millions of people. Low back pain is a major cause of disability, and spinal cord compression is a possible cause. When you’re suffering, find the best spine surgeon in New Jersey, like the ones at Premier Brain & Spine. After a confirmed diagnosis, you may be a candidate for a thoracic corpectomy. Through this advanced surgical procedure, your spine specialist provides a lasting solution. Call today for a consultation.

What Is Corpectomy Surgery of the Spine?

A corpectomy is a surgical procedure to address spinal cord compression. In this surgery, a top spinal surgeon removes vertebral bodies and neighboring vertebral discs to decompress your spinal cord. Then a bone graft is inserted into the space to fuse the remaining bone segments into one section.

If your diagnosis shows extensive bone or disc degeneration, a thoracic corpectomy procedure or a cervical corpectomy surgery — depending on the location of the compression — becomes the most effective treatment to ease pressure on your spinal cord. Any damage to the cushioning intervertebral discs or the vertebrae results in symptoms that include:

  • Impaired spinal function, such as the inability to bend without pain
  • Pain in other parts of your body, such as your arms or legs

For the best treatment of your spinal conditions in New Jersey, visit a spine and pain center like Premier Brain & Spine. With nine locations in NJ — including Hackensack, Paterson, Edison, Union, Rutherford, Freehold, Bayonne, West Orange, and West Caldwell — and one in Goshen, NY, there’s an advanced spine surgery center near you.

If you experience persistent neck or mid-back pain, get an accurate diagnosis from a board certified spinal expert. A corpectomy may be the best treatment for damaged spinal discs. A thoracic corpectomy or cervical corpectomy treat spinal problems such as:

At the spine center in NJ and NY, spine specialists use advanced techniques and the latest equipment to diagnose the underlying cause of your spinal problem. Once you have a firm diagnosis, your spinal physician creates an individualized treatment plan for the best outcome. For a compressed spinal cord, your doctor may choose a thoracic or cervical corpectomy procedure.

Anyone with a compressed spinal cord is a good candidate for a corpectomy procedure. The procedure alleviates the pressure that causes excruciating back pain and other debilitating symptoms. Some signs that you’re a good candidate for corpectomy surgery include:

  • Suffering pain and stiffness along the spinal cord, from your neck to your lower back
  • Feeling shooting pain that radiates down to your buttocks and legs
  • Experiencing numbness or tingling in your arms, hands or legs
  • Suffering weakness in your extremities
  • Having trouble with hand coordination
  • Experiencing problems controlling your bowel or bladder
  • Having problems walking because of the pain

All these are symptoms of compression in your spinal cord. In a compressed spinal cord, the risk of nerve damage is high, and you may experience severe symptoms in other parts of your body. The specialists at Premier Brain & Spine’s ambulatory surgery center use advanced techniques to perform your cervical or thoracic corpectomy surgery.

Your doctor carries out multiple diagnostic tests to determine whether a corpectomy is right for you. You also get instructions to prepare for the surgery, including stopping smoking and taking certain medications, as they may affect the bone fusion and healing. The main steps in lumbar, cervical or thoracic spine corpectomy and fusion include:

  1. You’re given general anesthesia to alleviate any pain during the procedure.
  2. Your doctor makes incisions for an anterior or posterior approach, depending on the position of your spinal disc problem. An anterior thoracic corpectomy, for example, means the access to your spine is through your abdomen.
  3. Your spine surgeon removes the damaged vertebrae, discs, bone spurs and any other body around the vertebrae causing the compression.
  4. The surgeon performs spinal fusion by inserting a bone graft in the space. A metal plate and screws hold the vertebrae and the bone graft.
  5. The graft facilitates bone growth and provides stability of your spine, allowing the vertebrae to fuse.
  6. Your doctor provides post-surgery care, including taking pain medications and limiting your activities to reduce strain on the healing vertebrae. If you had cervical corpectomy surgery, you may need to wear a cervical collar.

The spine specialists at NJ and NY advanced spine surgery center have advanced equipment to perform this and other complex surgeries to treat spinal conditions. They’re experts in spine diagnostics and treatments. If you suffer from spinal cord compression, contact the spine specialists at Premier Brain & Spine <Link to Contact> at one of their ten locations in NJ and NY.