Back surgery (spinal surgery) at Spire Parkway Hospital

At Spire Parkway 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 Parkway 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. This includes synthetic bone substitutes for spinal fusion so there’s no need to remove and use bone from elsewhere in your body.

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

Getting here

Spire Parkway Hospital is situated a few miles south of Birmingham city centre in Solihull, the hospital is near to both Birmingham International and Solihull train stations. We have free on-site parking for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

Your initial consultation will take place in one of our 14 accessible consultation rooms, so don’t worry if you have difficulty walking. During your consultations, we’ll:

• Ask about your medical history
• Say whether you need an X-ray, and/or an MRI or CT scan so your consultant can examine your back in more detail if you haven’t been diagnosed yet
• Tell you about the particular surgical method your consultant recommends and what it'll involve
• Explain about the general anaesthetic and how it may affect you
• Give you a chance to ask any questions you have about your surgery

When you come in for your operation, you’ll be with us for one to four days. You’ll stay in one of our 38 large, bright, private en-suite rooms, which has a locked space for your belongings and entertainment to keep you occupied as you start your recovery.

If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in your room while you have your operation.

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 carry out the type of back surgery that you’re having

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

• TV
• En-suite
• Armchair
• Window
• Free WiFi

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: