The patient may be afraid of back surgery, but in fact, only 5% of people should have back surgery to treat lumbar problems. Surgery is reserved for the most severe cases of back pain (if the spinal cord is compromised if there is structural deformation, or in severe cases of spinal stenosis).
When patients are thinking about undergoing spinal surgery, one of the most common questions they have is which specialist is better to consult, a neurosurgeon or a spine orthopedic surgeon. The answer is that for most spinal surgeries, either orthopedic spine surgeon or a neurosurgeon can be considered as options.
Neurosurgeons may be licensed in medicine or doctors of osteopathic medicine and have completed a five to six years residency in the surgical treatment of neurological conditions. Neurosurgeons are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of Brain, column and spinal cord, nerves, intracranial and intraspinal vasculature.
Some neurosurgeons specialize exclusively in brain surgery, others in spinal surgery and some specialize in both.
Orthopedic doctors specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of almost any disorder of the bones and joints, such as Spine disorders, arthritis, sports injuries, injuries, bone tumors, injuries and deformities in the hands, total joint replacement.
Some orthopedic surgeons focus their practice exclusively on spinal surgery, some on other types of joints (for example, hips, knees, shoulders) and others divide their practice into two or more areas.
Both neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons can complete their specialization to perform most spine surgeries, but there are some types of spinal surgeries in which one specialist tends to be more qualified than the other, such as:
-In the past, orthopedic surgeons tended to be better qualified for spinal deformity surgery (for example, scoliosis) and other types of spinal deformity. Today, many neurosurgeons are trained in this too.
-Neurosurgeons are more qualified to perform intradural surgery (surgery inside the dura in the spinal cord).
