Thanks for your question. The most common reason for a spinal operation would be significant symptoms and changes on an imaging study such as and MRI or CT scan.
Significant symptoms includes intractable pain, persistent neurology or “red flags” such as difficulty in controlling adder or bowel symptoms, numbness around the anus or night pain.
When I mention “significant” on imaging I mean to say disc prolapses causing spinal cord or nerve compressions, fractures to the vertebral bodies or pars intra-articularis and perhaps tumours. Depending on the access required by you surgeon, they may opt for an open operation to limit the number of surgeries you require.
Surgeons will always try to perform the least invasive surgery possible, provided they have had the correct training and have the necessary equipment.
I hope this helps.
Bw
Dr Dinesh
