[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ make_equal=”on” specialty=”on” background_color_2=”#f3f1f2″ padding_top_bottom_link_2=”false” padding_left_right_link_2=”true” padding_top_1=”20vw” padding_top_2=”10vw” padding_right_2=”80px” padding_bottom_2=”0px” padding_left_2=”80px” padding_1_tablet=”80px||” padding_2_tablet=”|5vw||5vw||true” padding_1_phone=”” padding_2_phone=”” padding_1_last_edited=”on|desktop” padding_2_last_edited=”on|phone” admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.11.4″ background_color=”#f3f1f2″ background_image=”https:\/\/dkm-medical.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/paralegal-06.jpg” background_blend=”multiply” inner_width=”100%” inner_max_width=”100%” custom_padding=”0|0|0|0px|false|false” border_width_all=”5vw” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ use_custom_width=”on” width_unit=”off” custom_width_percent=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ specialty_columns=”2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_row_inner padding_top_bottom_link_1=”false” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”#252b3a” max_width=”80%” max_width_tablet=”” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”50px|40px|50px|40px|true|true” border_width_all=”3vw” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ border_width_bottom=”6vw” border_width_left=”0px” box_shadow_style=”preset4″ box_shadow_horizontal=”0px” box_shadow_vertical=”360px” box_shadow_color=”#f3f1f2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider color=”#e8c3ad” _builder_version=”3.21.1″ transform_translate=”-80px|0px” max_width=”200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Work Sans|600|||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”Suranna|||on|||||” header_font_size=”4vw” header_line_height=”1.2em” header_4_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#d94144″ header_4_font_size=”12px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_4_line_height=”2em” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||0px” header_font_size_tablet=”10vw” header_font_size_phone=”32px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Mr Vasileios Arzoglou – Consultant Neurosurgeon<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Work Sans|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#87827d” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna|||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”3vw” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_4_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#d94144″ header_4_font_size=”12px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_4_line_height=”2em” background_layout=”dark” max_width=”450px” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Work Sans|600|||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna|||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”3vw” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_4_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#d94144″ header_4_font_size=”12px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_4_line_height=”2em” custom_margin=”||0px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”5vw” header_2_font_size_phone=”24px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.11.4″ text_font=”Work Sans|600|||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna|||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”3vw” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_4_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#d94144″ header_4_font_size=”12px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_4_line_height=”2em” max_width=”450px” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Any form of surgery carries risks that patients need to acknowledge before they undergo any kind of treatment. <\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Work Sans||||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna|||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”3vw” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_4_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#d94144″ header_4_font_size=”12px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_4_line_height=”2em” max_width=”450px” custom_margin=”-25px|||||” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
It is the duty of the surgeon to disclose these risks to his patients but it is equally important for the patient to understand the information given in order to make a tailored made decision according to individual’s needs and wishes. <\/p>\n
Please read carefully the following pages and talk to your surgeon if you have any concerns. This webpage is just informative and does not represent or replace a clinical consultation and the consent process. <\/p>\n
We have summarised the risks involved in 5 major categories.<\/p>\n
<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Posterior Lumbar Decompression<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Posterior Lumbar Decompression and Fusion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Anterior \/ Lateral Lumbar (indirect) Decompression and Fusion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Anterior Cervical Discectomy (Arthrodesis or arthroplasty ) <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Posterior cervical decompression (with or <\/em><\/strong>without fusion)<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You can scroll to the section that is related to the procedure you consider having. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Scroll Call to Action” _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”#f3f1f2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”3.25″ width=”94%” width_tablet=”80%” width_phone=”80%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”94%” max_width_tablet=”80%” max_width_phone=”80%” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” make_fullwidth=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Work Sans|600||on|||||” text_text_color=”#252b3a” text_font_size=”12px” text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”100px” custom_margin=”||0px” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Learn More<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb use_icon=”on” font_icon=”3||divi||400″ icon_color=”#252b3a” image_icon_width=”26px” _builder_version=”4.13.0″ max_width=”100px” icon_font_size=”26px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Mission” _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”#f3f1f2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.13.0″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ admin_label=”Column” _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Work Sans|600|||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna||||||||” header_2_font_size=”60px” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_4_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#d94144″ header_4_font_size=”12px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_4_line_height=”2em” custom_margin=”||0px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”” header_2_font_size_phone=”24px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Work Sans||||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna|||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”3vw” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_3_font=”Work Sans|600||on|||||” header_3_font_size=”12px” header_3_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_3_line_height=”2em” header_4_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#d94144″ header_4_font_size=”12px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_4_line_height=”2em” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n With the operation the aim is to decompress this\/these nerves and give it\/them a chance to recover. The success of the operation and the rate of neurological improvement of your symptoms will depend on the ability that your nerves have to recover. As a result of chronic compression of the nerves sometimes the outcome is not as good as the patient would expect, even after a satisfactory decompression. Therefore the main aim of the operation would be to prevent or delay any further neurological deterioration and only secondly to try and alleviate part or all of your symptoms, which as I said depends directly to the chronicity of your symptoms. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Overall I would say that you are looking at an 80% chance of your \u201cleg\u201d symptoms getting better and a 20% chance of them remaining the same or even getting worse. If your leg symptoms (pain, tingling, numbness, pins and needles or weakness) improve, it is unlikely that they will improve all together. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Usually you should expect the s<\/span>hooting pain to improve first (within a few days) following by the weakness, the pins and needles and the numbness, which may take from 3 months to one year. <\/span><\/p>\n With regards to your back pain you are looking at about a 50% chance of getting better and a 50% chance of remaining the same or getting worse. If your back pain improves it may take up to one year until you are able to see the final outcome of the operation.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n With regards to the <\/span>Potential risks with surgery<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Infection.<\/b> Following surgery you may suffer from infection which could be superficial and treated with a short course of antibiotics, or it could be deep seated which may require several weeks or even months of intravenous antibiotics (if that\u2019s the case you may need a large calibre central intravenous line inserted). The infection could further affect other parts of your body, including the lumbar disc space (diskitis), the spine (osteomyelitis), the nervous system itself (meningitis-encephalitis), or even cause a generalised spread of the bug in your blood stream (septicaemia). You may also need to have your wound re-explored for a wash-out and there is also a possibility that the metalwork inserted may have to be removed. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Haemorrhage, Major Vascular Injury, Haematoma<\/b>. Throughout the operation you may bleed which I will try to control with various techniques. If you happen to bleed from one of your major vessels (usually by perforation by one of the surgical instruments) this can become life-threatening. Last but not least following an operation you may develop a blood clot (haematoma) that may need to be evacuated-drained surgically. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism<\/b>. While having an operation or in your post-operative course your blood circulation may slow down and you may develop blood clots that can block part of your circulation. This can happen in your legs or it may even affect your lungs in which case it may become life-threatening. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Life at risk<\/b>. As already mentioned there is a very small chance of your life being at risk mainly due to a catastrophic haemorrhage from one of your major vessels or as a result of pulmonary embolism. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nerve damage (paralysis of legs, bowel, bladder \u2013 sexual dysfunction)<\/b>. During the operation there is a risk of your nerves being injured leading to weakness or even paralysis of one or more muscles of your legs and feet. Such weakness and paralysis can also affect your bowel-bladder and sexual function. As a worst case scenario you may end up with complete paralysis from your waist down, with double incontinence (bowel & bladder) and sexually impotent. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Durotomy (that may require another operation up to an insertion of a permanent Lumpo-peritoneal shunt).<\/b> During the operation the outer 2 layers of the sac that protects the nerves can be torn and the cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) within this sac will start leaking. Most of the time this can be controlled on site with various techniques and quite often you may not even realise that you suffered such a complication. There are a very small percentage of patients where we may have to consider a wound exploration, a temporary external drain or even a permanent drain to divert the CSF from your spine to your abdomen. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Perineural fibrosis.<\/b> During the healing process of your wound your organism may develop more scar tissue than normally expected. If that\u2019s the case you can end up with worsening symptoms as a result of direct compression of the nerves from the scar tissue or as a result of tethering of your nerve roots limiting their range of movement inside the spine. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Positional complications or neuropathy.<\/b> While I perform the operation you will be placed prone on an operating table and certain parts of your body may be irritated or injured (eyeballs, peripheral nerves, lips, breasts, groin skin, genitalia). For such complications regardless of all the measures I take, it is directly related to your body weight and shape. There is also a small possibility that one of your peripheral nerves (not the ones that I\u2019m going to decompress) may get indirectly injured as a result of prolonged pressure while in theatres. This can cause numbness and weakness in various parts of your body. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n No improvement or worsening of symptoms.<\/b> Regardless of the success or not of the operation you may not improve or you may even end up worse. Please refer to the \u201cAim of the operation\u201d section. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Disc reoccurrence or incomplete disc removal (Applicable only if disc removal is performed).<\/b> The lumbar disc that I will try to remove during my operation may not be a complete one and therefore there is a possibility of suffering a disc prolapse reoccurrence. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Anaesthetic risks.<\/b> There are risks with general anaesthesia like anaphylaxis, teeth injury-fracture, bruising of lips-tongue-eyes, which the anaesthetist will discuss with you on the morning of the operation. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n COVID-19 related risks (24% mortality rate). <\/b>Covid-19 infection is a condition that we continuously learn from. There are several anecdotal cases or reports about the effects of it. One of the biggest studies involving 1128 patients from 235 hospitals in 24 countries reports a 23.8% 30-day mortality (death) and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection<\/span>.<\/span> <\/b><\/p>\n Unexpected risks.<\/b> Regardless of my thorough description, please keep in mind that there are always unexpected risks that can happen with such a major operation. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Factors which may affect your recovery<\/b><\/p>\n There are a number of factors that can have a negative impact following surgery, including:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2022<\/span> long-term (chronic) steroid use. (or recreational activities);<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ admin_label=”Column” _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”90px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”0px|||” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/dkm-medical.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/paralegal-03.png” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”4.13.0″ transform_scale=”150%|150%” transform_scale_tablet=”100%|100%” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|tablet” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin=”100%|0%” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|tablet” max_width_tablet=”200px” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” module_alignment=”left” hover_enabled=”0″ transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_position=”top_bottom” sticky_enabled=”0″ sticky_limit_top=”body” scroll_fade_enable=”on”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Services” _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”#f3f1f2″ background_image=”https:\/\/dkm-medical.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/paralegal-05-1.jpg” parallax=”on” custom_padding=”12vw||12vw||true|false” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ border_width_right=”8vw” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”#f3f1f2″ max_width=”800px” custom_padding=”80px|40px|0|40px|false|true” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”800px” global_colors_info=”{}” admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.11.4″ text_font=”Work Sans|600|||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna|||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”3vw” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_3_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_3_font_size=”12px” header_3_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_3_line_height=”2em” header_4_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size_tablet=”5vw” header_2_font_size_phone=”24px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#313540″ _builder_version=”3.21.1″ transform_translate=”-80px|0px” max_width=”200px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Work Sans|600|||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna|||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”3vw” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_3_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_3_font_size=”12px” header_3_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_3_line_height=”2em” header_4_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||” header_2_font_size_tablet=”5vw” header_2_font_size_phone=”24px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”#f3f1f2″ max_width=”800px” custom_padding=”|40px||40px|false|true” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”800px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.11.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.11.4″ text_font=”Work Sans||||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna|||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”3vw” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_3_font=”Work Sans|600||on|||||” header_3_font_size=”12px” header_3_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_3_line_height=”2em” header_4_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#d94144″ header_4_font_size=”12px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_4_line_height=”2em” width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-781px||0px||” custom_padding=”|0px||||” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n With the operation the aim is to decompress some nerves, give them a chance to recover and also to fuse the spine. Fusion is referred as the bony union of 2 vertebrae in this case, and it forms a paradox to the normal moving segment between 2 vertebrae that an intervertebral disc provides you with. The success of the operation and the rate of neurological improvement of your symptoms will depend on the ability that your nerves have to recover, the quality of the bone and the ability to fuse but also to your overall health. As a result of chronic compression of the nerves sometimes the outcome is not as good as the patient would expect, even after a satisfactory decompression and fusion.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Potential risks with surgery<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Infection.<\/b> Following surgery you may suffer from infection which could be superficial and treated with a short course of antibiotics, or it could be deep seated which may require several weeks or even months of intravenous antibiotics (if that\u2019s the case you may need a large calibre central intravenous line inserted). The infection could further affect other parts of your body, including the lumbar disc space (diskitis), the spine (osteomyelitis), the nervous system itself (meningitis-encephalitis), or even cause a generalised spread of the bug in your blood stream (septicaemia). You may also need to have your wound re-explored for a wash-out and there is also a possibility that the metalwork inserted may have to be removed. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Haemorrhage, Major Vascular Injury, Haematoma<\/b>. Throughout the operation you may bleed which I will try to control with various techniques. If you happen to bleed from one of your major vessels (usually by perforation by one of the surgical instruments) this can become life-threatening. Last but not least following an operation you may develop a blood clot (haematoma) that may need to be evacuated-drained surgically. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism<\/b>. While having an operation or in your post-operative course your blood circulation may slow down and you may develop blood clots that can block part of your circulation. This can happen in your legs or it may even affect your lungs in which case it may become life-threatening. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Life at risk<\/b>. As already mentioned there is a very small chance of your life being at risk mainly due to a catastrophic haemorrhage from one of your major vessels or as a result of pulmonary embolism. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Nerve damage (paralysis of legs, bowel, bladder \u2013 sexual dysfunction)<\/b>. During the operation there is a risk of your nerves being injured leading to weakness or even paralysis of one or more muscles of your legs and feet. Such weakness and paralysis can also affect your bowel-bladder and sexual function. As a worst case scenario you may end up with complete paralysis from your waist down, with double incontinence (bowel & bladder) and sexually impotent. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Durotomy (that may require another operation up to an insertion of a permanent Lumpo-peritoneal shunt).<\/b> During the operation the outer 2 layers of the sac that protects the nerves can be torn and the cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) within this sac will start leaking. Most of the time this can be controlled on site with various techniques and quite often you may not even realise that you suffered such a complication. There are a very small percentage of patients where we may have to consider a wound exploration, a temporary external drain or even a permanent drain to divert the CSF from your spine to your abdomen. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Perineural fibrosis.<\/b> During the healing process of your wound your organism may develop more scar tissue than normally expected. If that\u2019s the case you can end up with worsening symptoms as a result of direct compression of the nerves from the scar tissue or as a result of tethering of your nerve roots limiting their range of movement inside the spine. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Positional complications or neuropathy.<\/b> While I perform the operation you will be placed prone on an operating table and certain parts of your body may be irritated or injured (eyeballs, peripheral nerves, lips, breasts, groin skin, genitalia). For such complications regardless of all the measures I take, it is directly related to your body weight and shape. There is also a small possibility that one of your peripheral nerves (not the ones that I\u2019m going to decompress) may get indirectly injured as a result of prolonged pressure while in theatres. This can cause numbness and weakness in various parts of your body. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n No improvement or worsening of symptoms.<\/b> Regardless of the success or not of the operation you may not improve or you may even end up worse. Please refer to the \u201cAim of the operation\u201d section. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Disc reoccurrence or incomplete disc removal (Applicable only if disc removal is performed).<\/b> The lumbar disc that I will try to remove during my operation may not be a complete one and therefore there is a possibility of suffering a disc prolapse reoccurrence. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Implant failure or migration, Construct failure. <\/b>During the operation I\u2019m going to insert several pieces of metalwork to stabilize your spine and probably a cage at the front of your spine. Any of these can either break or migrate, causing neurological compromise and also raising the chances of needing a repeat surgery. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Pseudoarthrosis.<\/b> The operation that I\u2019m going to perform is considered a temporary measure until your spine fuses. There is a possibility of not achieving a solid bony fusion in which case your spinal stability relies on the metalwork and therefore you are at risk of an implant fracture as a result of biomechanical fatigue. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Adjacent level disease.<\/b> Following my operation there is a possibility of developing further degeneration at the adjacent segments of the level where I operated. This is the result of the adjacent segments having to support and compensate for any degree of movement you have lost at the fused segment of your spine. Such deterioration may require further surgical fixation and fusion. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Anaesthetic risks.<\/b> There are risks with general anaesthesia like anaphylaxis, teeth injury-fracture, bruising of lips-tongue-eyes, which the anaesthetist will discuss with you on the morning of the operation. <\/span><\/p>\n COVID-19 related risks (24% mortality rate). <\/b>Covid-19 infection is a condition that we continuously learn from. There are several anecdotal cases or reports about the effects of it. One of the biggest studies involving 1128 patients from 235 hospitals in 24 countries reports a 23.8% 30-day mortality (death) and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection<\/span><\/span>.<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Factors which may affect spinal fusion and your recovery<\/b><\/p>\n There are a number of factors that can negatively impact on a solid fusion following surgery, including:<\/span><\/p>\n Of all these factors, the one that can compromise the fusion rate the most is smoking. Nicotine has been shown to be a bone toxin and inhibit the ability of the bone-growing cells in the body (osteoblasts) to grow bone. Patients should make a concerted effort to allow their bones the best chance to heal by not smoking. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”#f3f1f2″ max_width=”800px” custom_padding=”0|40px|0|40px|false|true” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”800px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ specialty=”on” padding_top_1=”0px” admin_label=”Testimonials” _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”#f3f1f2″ custom_padding=”8vw||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Work Sans|600|||||||” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Suranna||||||||” header_2_font_size=”60px” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_4_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#d94144″ header_4_font_size=”12px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1.5px” header_4_line_height=”2em” background_color=”#d94144″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”-60px|0px” transform_translate_tablet=”0px|0px” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||0px” custom_padding=”40px||40px||true” header_2_font_size_tablet=”” header_2_font_size_phone=”24px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” border_color_all=”#f3f1f2″ box_shadow_style=”preset4″ box_shadow_horizontal=”-280px” box_shadow_vertical=”0px” box_shadow_color=”#d94144″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ specialty_columns=”2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”3.25″ transform_translate=”-30px|0px” custom_padding=”60px|||30px|false|false” border_color_all=”rgba(49,53,64,0.2)” border_width_left=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb title=”Mr Vasileios arzoglou” image=”https:\/\/dkm-medical.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Profile-Picture-2-No-Backround.jpg” icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”80px” _builder_version=”4.13.0″ header_font=”Work Sans|600||on|||||” header_font_size=”12px” header_letter_spacing=”1.5px” body_font=”Work Sans||||||||” body_font_size=”13px” body_line_height=”2em” custom_margin=”||60px” child_filter_saturate=”0%” border_radii_image=”on|100px|100px|100px|100px” image_max_width=”80px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Mr Vasileios Arzoglou is a consultant neurosurgeon with extensive experience in complex spine surgery. He practices in the area of Humberside and Yorkshire<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" DKM Medical Mr Vasileios Arzoglou – Consultant Neurosurgeon Spine surgery Complications Any form of surgery carries risks that patients need to acknowledge before they undergo any kind of treatment. It is the duty of the surgeon to disclose these risks to his patients but it is equally important for the patient to understand the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-37","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/complications.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/37","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/complications.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/complications.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/complications.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/complications.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=37"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/complications.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/37\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50,"href":"https:\/\/complications.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/37\/revisions\/50"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/complications.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Risks with posterior lumbar spinal decompression.<\/h2>\n
posterior lumbar decompression is a collection of several procedures that involve the decompression of spinal nerves by removing ligamentous, bony or disc material that may compress or irritate the spinal nerves.<\/h3>\n
These operations can be referred as microdiscectomy, discectomy, foraminotomy, interlaminar decompression, fenestration. <\/h3>\n
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spinal fusion<\/h3>\n
Risks with posterior lumbar spinal fusion<\/h2>\n
Spinal Fusion in the lumbar spine will involve all the risks related to decompression but also include the risks related to implant insertion like pedicle screws or disc spacers used to promote fusion. There are several techniques that will fall within the category of spinal fusion so don’t let the terms plif,tlif,MIDLF(R) confuse you.<\/h3>\n
at the same time every approach \/ technique has different advantages and different risk to benefit profile so please try to understand why your surgeon has chosen one technique over the other<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
Unexpected risks.<\/b><\/span> Regardless of my thorough description, please keep in mind that there are always unexpected risks that can happen with such a major operation.<\/span> <\/span><\/h1>\n
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Our Experts<\/h2>\n