Spinal Care & Back Pain
Westmead Private Hospital is committed to providing high quality, personalized care for patients requiring treatment for back and spinal conditions. Each year thousands of people choose Westmead Private for spinal surgery. Our team of spinal orthopaedic surgeons and spinal neurosurgeons work closely with our team of specialty skilled nurses and physiotherapists to deliver personalized, high quality care prior to admission, whilst in hospital and following discharge. Our surgeons are now able to offer robotic assisted surgery using the ROSA Robot. A highly advanced surgical robot assistant, ROSA has a computer “brain” for 3D imaging and a robotic arm that directs surgical instruments with extreme accuracy.
The ROSA allows for improved accuracy and shorter surgical times of procedures, both of which are a tremendous improvement for patient safety and comfort.
Back Pain Treatments
Back conditions can relate to the bones, joints, nerves, muscles or connective tissues. There are four key areas that back pain can affect:
Neck (cervical spine)
Upper back (thoracic spine)
Lower back (lumbar spine)
Sacrum and tailbone (coccyx)
At Westmead Private Hospital we offer a range of treatment options to treat persistent back pain.
- Pain relieving injections
- Facet joint injections
- Epidurogram and nerve root blocks
- Neck & spinal surgery
Spinal Indications & Conditions
Please find details below of the conditions treated at Westmead Private Hospital.
There are several indications that can occur that propose that spinal surgery will be necessary:
- Loss of sensation and movement
- Leg pain
- Back pain
- Foot drop
- Bulging disc
- Osteophyte (small outgrowth on the bone)
Trauma to the spine can result in:
- Spinal fracture
- Subluxation (partial dislocation)
- Tumours/cysts
Spondylosis is immobility and fusion of the vertebra (small bones forming the backbone) joints.
There are three different types of deformities:
- Scoloiosis- Abnormal lateral curvature of the spine
- Kyphosis- Abnormal convex curvature (bulge at the upper back)
- AIS- Adult idiophatic scoliosis
Spinal Procedures
Please find details below of the procedures performed at Westmead Private Hospital.
Laminectomy
Surgical removal of lamina from chosen levels of the spinal cord help to enlarge the spinal canal. This operation is most often performed on the Cervical (neck) and Lumber (lower back) levels of the spine. The Lamina is the back part of the each vertebra, and when it is removed it can release the pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Because of this it is often referred to as ‘Decompression’ surgery.
Discectomy
Surgical removal of a disc anywhere along the spine
Neurolosis/Rhizolysis
Separation of adhesions from nerve fibre/root. Rhizolysis is often part of any Laminectomy surgery because decompression of a nerve root is known in surgical terms as a ‘Rhizolysis’.
Spinal Fusion is a surgery used to join, or fuse, vertebrae in the spine to prevent movement and create stability in the spine. This operation can be performed on any level of the spine and can be as small as two levels and up to 7 or above.
- Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
- Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion –Fusion of the Lumbar Spine, entering from the back of the patient
- Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion –Fusion of the Lumbar Spine, entering from the front of the patient
- Direct Lateral Interbody Fuson –Fusion of the Lumbar Spine, entering from the side of the patient, using specialized and less invasive tools and techniques
- Anterior Cervical Disectomy and Fusion –Fusion of the neck, entering from the front of the patient
- Posterior Cervical Fusion or Lateral Mass Fusion –Fusion of the neck, entering from the back of the patient
- Posterior spinal fusion
- Anterior spinal fusion
Spinal Imaging
Westmead Private Hospital’s imaging provider, I-MED, is located on the ground floor of the hospital and is staffed by highly experienced professionals. Our imaging provider can provide you with quick access to the best diagnostic imaging equipment available to assist with quick identification of the cause of your back pain. The imaging equipment includes:
- CT Scanning
- MRI
- EOS Imaging- whole body 3D and 2D images of the patients spine
- Theatre image intensifier systems used for imaging the spine throughout surgery
Physiotherapy
On the ward our highly trained physiotherapists provide early involvement to assist patients to regain movement, strength and maximize independence following injury or surgery.
The physiotherapists from Westmead Private Physiotherapy Services work in partnership with the spinal doctors and nurses to provide personal care to facilitate optimal recovery. This may include; exercises, prescription of walking aids, gait re-education, education on slings and braces and advice on do’s and don’ts, referral to outpatient services as appropriate.
Our team's priority is your recovery and safe discharge to a rehabilitation centre or home.
Rehabilitation
You may need ongoing physiotherapy and support prior to returning home and this is available at a number of rehabilitation centres.
For more information on rehabilitation following spinal surgery please contact our Discharge Planner, Fiona Guthrie, on (02) 8837 8906.
If your consultant feels you need surgery, they will give you more information about the procedure and your likely recovery, and answer any questions you may have.
Spinal Specialists
Today spinal surgery is performed by both orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons. For a full list of our spinal specialist please follow the links below: