Back surgery (spinal surgery) at Spire Nottingham Hospital

At Spire Nottingham 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 Nottingham 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. These include:

• Minimally invasive discectomy, which uses smaller incisions than traditional techniques, resulting in faster recovery
• Interspinous distraction – an implant is inserted between two vertebrae to relieve pressure the affected nerve
• Synthetic bone substitutes for spinal fusion so there’s no need to remove and use bone from elsewhere in your body

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

Getting here

Spire Nottingham Hospital is situated five miles south from Nottingham city centre off the A52. Nottingham station is approximately 15 minutes by taxi from the hospital. We have 300 free car parking spaces 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, enabling them to 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 general anaesthetic and how it may affect you

Your appointments will take place in one of our 20 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.

On the day of your procedure, you’ll meet your healthcare team, including your anaesthetist and your consultant. You’ll be shown to one of our 42 bright, private rooms. You’ll be with us for one to four days, depending on the type of surgery you have.

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

Before surgery, you’ll be given a general anaesthetic, so you’ll be unconscious throughout the procedure. Once it’s taken effect, your consultant will begin your surgery.

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

• Freeview TV
• En-suite Bathroom
• Walk-in shower
• Armchair
• Free WiFi
• Complimentary toiletries
• Robe and slippers
• Nurse-call system

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 best result 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: