Spine Surgery: Myths, Red Flags and What to Ask Your Surgeon | Backbones Podcast

Is spine surgery dangerous? Does one operation always lead to another? And should you believe everything your MRI report says? Mr David Cumming is a consultant orthopaedic spinal surgeon and one of the leads behind NHS England's clinical guidelines for spinal care. Joel and Carol (‪@SpinalSurgerySurvivalist‬) sit down with David to go through the myths and fears patients bring into his clinic. He explains why your MRI report probably sounds worse than it is, why one surgery doesn't have to lead to another, and the red flags worth paying attention to after surgery. Carol shares her own experience of dealing with surgery myths after putting her story online. 0:00 Introduction 1:21 What drew David to spine surgery 2:20 The biggest myths patients believe 3:40 Is spine surgery actually dangerous? 4:23 Does one surgery always lead to another? 8:39 When patients want surgery but don't need it 12:29 Red flags: when to worry after surgery 17:32 Sudden weakness and foot drop 18:58 How spinal care has changed 22:07 Three questions to ask your surgeon 24:12 One piece of advice for spine patients They cover: Why your MRI report often sounds worse than it actually is The difference between normal age-related spinal changes and something worth investigating Why most discectomy patients won't need further surgery Adjacent segment disease and why it's not inevitable after fusion How surgeons decide when to say no to a patient who wants surgery The subtle bladder and sensation changes that should prompt an urgent scan Why waiting too long with worsening symptoms can mean some damage won't recover Painless foot drop in younger patients and why the old thinking is changing The shift towards multidisciplinary teams and dual operating in theatre Three questions worth asking your surgeon: how often they do the procedure, their complication rate, and whether they track outcomes Like, subscribe, and leave a comment with any topics you'd like us to cover. ----- Joel Proskewitz is the founder of Vertera, a mobile app built to support spine surgery patients through every stage of their journey. Start your free trial at https://verterahealth.com/download About the guest: Mr David Cumming is a consultant orthopaedic spinal surgeon at Cleveland Clinic London and East Suffolk & North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. He is the Immediate Past President of the British Association of Spinal Surgeons and has been involved in developing national clinical guidelines for spinal care. https://clevelandcliniclondon.uk/doct... This video is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment.