Back surgery (spinal surgery) at Spire Norwich Hospital

At Spire Norwich Hospital, our orthopaedic (bone and muscle) consultants and neurosurgeons have wide experience in performing back surgery in our clean and modern facilities. They’ll offer you a treatment and recovery plan that’s personalised to you, to relieve your symptoms and help you get back to your everyday activities. We have many expert nurses and physiotherapists who’ll provide you with the aftercare you need to make a full recovery.

At Spire Norwich Hospital, we offer trusted and clinically proven surgical techniques for a variety of conditions. Your consultant will be able to recommend which type of surgery is best for you. This may include one or more of the following:

• Discectomy – used to treat a slipped disc by removing a damaged or worn disc
• Laminectomy – used to relieve pressure on the spinal cord by removing part of a protruding or fractured vertebra
• Spinal fusion – used to strengthen your back when you have wear and tear or damage

We’re able to offer surgical techniques and innovations that have been designed to improve outcomes. If your consultant thinks it’s right for you, they may perform a minimally invasive back surgery. This usually means a faster recovery time while still achieving the same outcomes.

We also have two laminar flow operating theatres that regulate air flow to minimise the risk of infection.

Getting here

Spire Norwich Hospital is situated just three miles from the city centre. We’re approximately three miles from Norwich train station. We have free parking on-site for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

During your consultations, you’ll meet one of our expert consultants who’ll:

• Discuss your medical history
• Recommend tests and scans if required, such as an X-ray, an MRI or a CT scan, so they can look at your back in more detail
• Discuss which type of surgery you’ll need for your condition and what it’ll involve
• Explain about the general anaesthetic and how it may affect you

All of your consultations will take place in one of our 12 consultation rooms which are all accessible making things easier for you if you have difficulty walking. These consultations give you an opportunity to ask questions and get advice about what’s best for you.

Once you’ve decided to go ahead with back surgery, your consultant and your physiotherapist will explain your recovery plan.

When you come in for your operation, you’ll be with us for one to four days. You’ll stay in one of our 55 large, bright, private en-suite rooms, which has a locked space for your things and entertainment to keep you occupied as you start your recovery.

Here’s what will happen on the day of your back surgery:

• You’ll meet your surgery team and anaesthetist
• Your anaesthetist will administer the general anaesthetic, which will send you to sleep for the operation
• Once it’s taken effect, your surgeon will make the first incision and begin your operation

After surgery, you can begin your recovery in your private room. All our rooms have:

• TV
• Window
• Armchair

It’s normal to feel some pain or discomfort after back surgery, so to make your recovery easier, you’ll be given:

• Medications to help you manage pain, prevent infection and reduce the risk of clotting
• Sessions with one of our physiotherapists, who'll give you an exercise plan to help you get active again, plus a guide to how long your recovery will take

Although everybody’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline for back surgery: