Back surgery (spinal surgery) at Spire Murrayfield Hospital Wirral

At Spire Murrayfield Hospital, Wirral, 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 Murrayfield Hospital, Wirral, we have a number of highly experienced consultants who offer treatment for a variety of conditions. Common back surgery procedures are:

• Discectomy – where part of a slipped disc is removed to relieve associated symptoms
• Laminectomy – where part of a vertebra is removed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord
• Spinal fusion – used to strengthen your back

We’re able to offer surgical techniques and innovations that have been designed to improve outcomes. These include:

• Minimally invasive discectomy, which uses smaller incisions than traditional techniques, resulting in faster recovery
• Synthetic bone substitutes for spinal fusion so there’s no need to remove and use bone from elsewhere in your body

We’re proud of our world-class clinical facilities at Spire Murrayfield Hospital, Wirral, such as two operating theatres with laminar flow. These theatres regulate air flow, thereby reducing the likelihood of infection.

Getting here

We’re situated close to the M53, and you can also reach us by taking the train to Birkenhead Hamilton Square station, which is a 15 minute taxi ride away. We have free on-site parking 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

Your appointments will take place in one of our 13 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 27 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 our lounge or restaurant 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 begin your operation

Your recovery

Following your surgery, you’ll begin your recovery in one of our private rooms, all of which contain:

• TV
• En-suite
• Window
• Armchair

You may feel discomfort following your procedure, but your nursing team will make sure you have pain relief medication to help manage this. They’ll also be able to advise you on over-the-counter pain relief you can use while at home.

Physiotherapy also plays an important role in your recovery so we have a dedicated physiotherapy team who can provide you with tailored exercises to help you get the most from your operation.

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