Spinal surgery

In the UK, a spinal surgeon can be either a neurosurgeon or an orthopaedic surgeon who has completed further specialist training in spinal surgery. 

You may need spinal surgery if you have a condition or injury affecting your spine that may be helped with surgery.

You can access private spinal surgery with us using private medical insurance or by paying for your own treatment.

Spinal surgery will often be covered by your private health insurance, but not always. It’s best to speak to your provider directly to see what's covered in your policy.

If you want to pay for your treatment, you can either pay in full or take advantage of our flexible payment options, which allow you to spread the cost over a period of up to five years.

Our self-pay customers benefit from fixed-price packages, meaning you'll know exactly what you're going to pay before you book your surgery. Your initial consultation and early diagnostic tests won't be included, but the cost of your surgery and hospital fees are, and so is your aftercare programme (including physiotherapy), meaning there are no hidden costs down the line.

Symptoms of spinal conditions that may require surgery vary depending on the type and severity of your condition, and other factors such as your age and general health.

Some common symptoms that may indicate a spinal condition include:

• Pain: Pain may range from a persistent dull ache to a sharp, shooting or burning pain that radiates down your arms or legs. You may have pain all the time, or it may occur or be worse with certain movements
• Numbness and tingling: A loss of sensation or pins and needles in your arms, hands, legs or feet
• Weakness: Depending on the location of your spinal problem, muscle weakness can occur in your arms, legs, or hands
• Loss of bowel or bladder control: This can indicate a serious problem with your nerves or spinal cord and needs immediate medical attention
• Visual deformity: You may have visible changes in the structure of your spine, such as a curvature of your spine (scoliosis) 
• Difficulty standing or walking: May be caused by pain, numbness or weakness in your legs due to pressure or irritation on the nerves in your spine

Surgery is usually only considered when more conservative treatments such as lifestyle changes, exercise, medication and physiotherapy haven’t worked. 

Some conditions that can be treated with spinal surgery include: 

Vertebral fractures

Fractures in the bones of your spine (vertebrae) can occur due to trauma, diseases like osteoporosis, or tumours. Depending on the type and severity of your fracture, you may need surgery to fix and stabilise the fracture, relieve pain and allow healing. 

Herniated disc

A herniated disc, also known as a slipped disc, occurs when the centre of one of the cushioning discs between your vertebrae bulges out and puts pressure on your spinal cord or nerves. It can occur in any part of your spine. A herniated disc may not cause any symptoms, but if you do have symptoms, they may include arm or leg pain, numbness, tingling and weakness. Treatment for a herniated disc includes medication, physiotherapy and in some cases, surgery. 

Spinal stenosis

This is a condition where the space inside your spinal canal (the tunnel around your spinal cord and nerves) becomes narrowed, putting pressure on your spinal cord and nerves and causing symptoms such as pain, weakness and tingling in your arms and legs. Treatment may include home care, painkillers, physiotherapy, and in some cases, surgery to alleviate pressure on your spinal cord and nerves. 

Spondylolisthesis

This is a condition where one of your vertebrae slips forward, causing pain and instability. It is most common in the lower back but can occur anywhere along your spine. Symptoms of spondylolisthesis include lower back pain that may spread to your bottom or thighs, tight muscles in the backs of your thighs, and sciatica. Treatment includes medication, physiotherapy and in some cases, surgery to alleviate pressure on the nerves and stabilise your spine. 

Sciatica

Sciatica occurs when there is pressure on your sciatic nerve, the main nerve that runs from your lower back to your feet. It can be caused by a back injury or conditions such as a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis. Symptoms of sciatica include a sharp, burning pain down the back of your leg, numbness, tingling and weakness. 
Sciatica often gets better over time, or with nonsurgical treatments like medication and physiotherapy, but if your sciatica is severe, or not responding to other treatments, your consultant may recommend surgery to deactivate or decompress the nerve. 

Scoliosis 

Scoliosis is a condition where your spine curves to the side. It can develop at any age, but most commonly starts between the ages of ten and 15. Scoliosis doesn’t always need treatment, but if the curvature is severe, causing symptoms such as back pain, or is likely to get worse over time, your consultant may recommend treatment. Treatment for scoliosis includes wearing a back brace, painkillers or surgery to correct your curved spine. 

Spinal tumours

Spinal tumours are abnormal growths of cells that develop in or around your spine. They can develop anywhere along your spine, including your spinal cord, vertebral column and surrounding tissues. Spinal tumours can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous) and can be either the main (primary) tumour or cancer spread from another part of the body (metastatic tumour).  Treatment for spinal tumours depends on the type, size, and location of your tumour as well as factors such as your age and general health, but may include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery to remove or reduce the size of the tumour.

Some common spinal surgical procedures include:

Cervical spine surgery 

Cervical spine surgery includes several procedures on the cervical region of the spine (neck). It is often performed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves caused by conditions such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. It can be performed through an incision in the back or the front of your neck and is carried out under a general anaesthetic, meaning you’ll be asleep during the procedure.

Recovery from cervical spine surgery varies depending on the type of procedure, as well as other factors such as your age and general health. Most people can resume normal daily activities within a few weeks, with full recovery taking several months.

There are several types of cervical spine surgery, including: 

• Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF): This is a procedure to remove a damaged disc and fuse the vertebrae above and below it using a bone graft and plate.
• Cervical discectomy: A procedure to remove all or part of a herniated disc to relieve pressure on your spinal cord and nerves
• Cervical disc replacement: The damaged disc is removed and replaced with an artificial disc
• Posterior cervical decompression and fusion: A procedure to remove growths of bone called bone spurs (osteophytes) or parts of your vertebra to create more space for your spinal cord and nerves

Vertebral augmentation for spinal osteoporosis 

This is a procedure used to stabilise spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis. It is minimally invasive, meaning there is no large incision (cut) and therefore a faster recovery time. 

During vertebral augmentation for spinal osteoporosis, your consultant will inject a special medical 'cement' into your fractured vertebrae through a needle inserted into your skin. This stabilises your vertebra and burns off many nerve endings, which helps to reduce pain.

The surgery can be performed under local anaesthetic with sedation, or general anaesthetic. Vertebral augmentation normally takes around an hour, depending on the number of vertebrae being treated. You may be able to go home later the same day as your procedure, or you may need to spend one night in hospital. Full recovery takes around six weeks, but you can expect to resume most normal activities, such as driving and returning to work, within around a week. 

Lumbar spinal decompression

Lumbar spinal decompression is surgery on your lumbar spine (lower back) to relieve pressure caused by conditions such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. It is usually performed under general anaesthetic as open surgery through a large incision in your back. 

Lumbar decompression surgery usually involves one or more of the following procedures: 

• Laminectomy: A procedure to remove a section of bone that is pressing on your spinal cord
• Discectomy: Removal of all or part of a herniated disc to prevent it from putting pressure on your spinal cord or nerves 
• Spinal fusion: Surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in your back to stabilise your spine

Spinal fusion surgery

A spinal fusion is surgery to permanently fuse (join together) two or more of the vertebrae in your spine, creating one solid structure and eliminating movement between your vertebrae. It can treat conditions where there is spinal instability, such as spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis and spinal fractures. Spinal fusion is often performed in combination with other procedures such as spinal decompression surgery or a discectomy.

During spinal fusion, the diseased part of your spine is removed and replaced with a bone graft. This is held in place with screws, rods and metal plates while the vertebrae “fuse” together. The operation is carried out under general anaesthetic and normally takes between one and five hours. You can expect to spend between one and four nights in hospital after spinal fusion surgery. Most people can return to normal activities after around four to six weeks, but full recovery can take several months.

Lumbar laminectomy 

A lumbar laminectomy is a surgical procedure on your lower back to remove all or some of your lower vertebral bone, known as your lamina. It increases the space inside your vertebral column and relieves pressure on your spinal cord and nerves. It can be used to treat conditions where your nerves press against your spinal canal, such as an injury, herniated disc, spinal tumour, or spinal stenosis. 

A lumbar laminectomy is usually performed under general anaesthesia, but in some cases, you may be given spinal anaesthesia, where you’ll be awake during the operation, but will not feel anything from the waist down. A lumbar laminectomy is carried out as open surgery, using a large incision in your back to access your spine. You will normally spend one night in hospital after your lumbar laminectomy, and most people are fully recovered by around two months after surgery. 

Booking a consultation is easy, and you can either do this by calling our dedicated team of friendly advisors or by using our easy online booking system.

When you choose to go private with Circle Health Group, you can expect:

• Flexible appointment times and locations that are convenient for you
• The freedom to choose which hospital and consultant best suits your needs
• Personalised, consultant-led treatment plans tailored to your individual needs
• Comfortable and safe private facilities with expert multidisciplinary care 
• Private ensuite rooms as standard, and a range of delicious, healthy meals
• Affordable, fixed-price packages with aftercare included
• Flexible payment options to help you spread the cost of your care

If you would like to learn more about private treatment for spinal surgery, book your appointment online today or call a member of our team directly.

1. Back and Spine Surgery, Johns Hopkins Medicine
2. Spinal surgery, The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
3. Spinal Surgery, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust