Recovery steps after minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery

In clinical practice in hospitals, treatment and postoperative recovery are equally important. Doctors often say, "The operation was very successful, and now it depends on the patient's recovery." This shows the importance of recovery. At this time, both the caregivers and the patient should understand how to recover as quickly as possible. Today, the editor will show you the recovery method of a minor surgery, which is minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery. Next, let’s take a look at its recovery steps.

1. Regarding bed rest:

When the patient returns to the ward from the operating room, he or she usually needs to rest in bed for a certain period of time, generally 2-6 hours, depending on the specific situation; if the surgery was performed under general anesthesia, the bed rest time may be longer. You should stay in bed for more than 3 days after the operation, but you can get out of bed for some light movement and go to the bathroom by yourself.

Some doctors recommend wearing a waist belt when getting out of bed in the early stages; this is not mandatory. If you wear a waist belt, it should be supportive. Avoid using waist belts with elastic bands as they do not provide sufficient support. In addition, the waist circumference should be of a certain width to be able to cover the entire lumbar spine.

2. Wound care issues:

The wound after perforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy is small, only a few millimeters. We usually only suture with one stitch. Pay attention to keeping the local wound dry after the operation, change the dressing once every 4 to 5 days, and remove the stitches in the outpatient clinic 12-14 days after the operation. Currently, the department has used cosmetic skin glue to seal wounds, which can avoid the problem of removing stitches after surgery.

3. Postoperative pain problem:

For most patients, the pain in the waist and legs can be relieved after surgery, but most patients may feel a certain degree of soreness and swelling in the waist on the same day. This is a normal phenomenon. The main reasons are puncture injury, surgery under water pressure environment and other factors. The pain will be significantly relieved on the next day.

Some patients will begin to experience the so-called "postoperative reaction" on the third day after the operation. Some doctors call it the "recurrence period (recovery period or edema period) after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy." The symptoms before surgery may reappear or even worsen. New symptoms may also appear, such as numbness, pain, soreness, weakness, etc. Symptoms may even appear on the opposite side. The duration can be short or long, ranging from a few days to 3 months or even longer. At this time, patients should be patient and not anxious, as most of the symptoms can be relieved on their own. If bed rest does not provide relief or the symptoms continue to worsen, you should have another MRI to see if endplate inflammation has occurred. At this time, the treatment plan must be changed and the treatment period will also be extended. The “relapse period” does not mean relapse or poor therapeutic effect, all of which can recover on their own.

4. Postoperative medication issues

You can take neurotrophic drugs orally after the operation. If there is pain, you can add some analgesics, muscle relaxants, etc. Commonly used ones include methylcobalamin, Lesong, and Miao Na. It usually takes 2 to 3 months.

5. Early bed exercise after surgery

1. Time: You can start training after surgery;

2. Purpose: To reduce postoperative nerve root adhesion and eliminate nerve root edema at an early stage.

3. Method: Lie on your back, straighten the affected leg, straighten the knee as much as possible, slowly raise the affected limb to the maximum, hold for 3 to 5 seconds, relax and put the leg back on the bed, relax the muscles briefly and repeat the above movements; raise the straight leg 30 to 50 times each time, 3 to 4 times a day, alternating between the legs;