Patient Instructions

For Pre and Post-Op Spine Surgery

All Spine Surgery Pre-Ops

Pre-operatively patients should avoid eating or drinking from midnight the night before surgery until the time of surgery. Routine daily medications may be taken with a sip of water only for hypertension and diabetes. Any food or drinks or more than a sip and surgery will be cancelled.

Anti-inflammatory medications (NSAID's) can cause bleeding complications during surgery and can also inhibit the fusion process. NSAID's should be discontinued for 10 days prior to surgery.

NSAID's include:

  • Ibuprofen
  • Motrin
  • Naprosyn
  • Relafen
  • Voltaren
  • Aleve
  • Daypro
  • Mobic

These medications will be helpful after surgery, but should not be used for 6 weeks with a cervical fusion and 12 weeks with a lumbar fusion. They can be used immediately after other surgeries. Tylenol, Celebrex, and Vicodin are all okay.

Please remember to bring MRI films with you to surgery.

Pre-operative Medications

These medications should be discontinued 2 weeks prior to surgery:

  • Aspirin
  • Plavix
  • Coumadin (warfarin)
  • Ephedra
  • Garlic
  • Ginko
  • Ginseng
  • Kava
  • St. John's Wort
  • Valerian
Minimally Invasive Spine Clinic

MidAmerica Orthopaedics offers technological advances such as minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat back and neck conditions.

Photo of spine with highlighted pain

Procedure Risks and Benefits

You physician will go over the risks and benefits of the treatment or procedure that best fits your needs. Do not hestiate to ask any questions or voice any concerns you may have.

Click a heading below to learn more about the risks and benefits of each procedure.

Laminectomy and Microdiskectomy

Lumbar Fusion

Cervical Surgery

All Spine Surgery Post-Ops

Keep the wound as dry as possible for the first 2 weeks after surgery. Showers are OK; pat dry the wound immediately afterwards. Avoid submerging the wound (ie baths). Contact the office if redness, drainage, increased pain, or wound separation occurs for these are all signs of wound infection.

Ambulation is encouraged after surgery. Try to stay as active as possible. The main postoperative restrictions are no running, jumping or lifting more than 5lbs for six weeks after surgery. Excessive bending and twisting as used in golf and tennis should be avoided during this time as well. Driving should be avoided for 5-7 days after surgery due to soreness and the use of narcotic pain medications. Sexual activity should be withheld for about a week; then resume this activity in the dependent position for another 1-2 weeks. Swimming is allowed after 2 weeks.

Post-operative radicular pain tends to improve very quickly as does weakness. Numbness and paresthesias tends to linger for several months.

As a rule of thumb: "If it is starting to feel better, it will continue to feel better."

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