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Spinal surgery explained

Spinal  Surgery is a specialist part of orthopaedics which is performed at the practice.

It involves delicate surgery to the main nerve which carries all the information from the brain to the legs, bladder etc– called the spinal cord.

The spinal cord is encased for its protection in a bony canal– the spinal column or spine– from when it leaves the brain at the back of the skull, passes down the neck & back until it reaches below the pelvis. The spinal nerves exit out of the spinal cord at each bone (vertebral) joint along the spine– these nerves supply the instructions from the brain to the muscle of the body (e.g. for walking), and also conduct information from the body back to the brain (e.g. pain, heat sensation in the toes) a little like a computer cable.

So you can see any disruption in the nerves ability to conduct will have major consequences– the most common reason the nerves stop functioning is because something is pressing on them and causing compression— for example– disc prolapse / slipped disc, spinal cord swelling, tumour, fractures of the spine, and growth/ developmental defects.

The symptoms: These include back pain in most cases, difficulty walking, to poor balance, through to total paralysis and no feeling in the legs.


Myleography

In order to locate the site of spinal cord compression we perform a specialist x-ray technique called myelography which is carried out under general anaesthesia– this involves carefully injecting a clear sterile solution into the space along side the spinal cord. This solution runs by gravity along the spinal cord and stops or deviates at the site of the problem, allowing us to know where exactly to surgically relieve the compression on the spinal cord.


The Spinal Operation

Because the spinal cord is encased in bone we have to use specialist  equipment to burr a window through the spinal bone to reach the compressed portion of cord without damaging the cord itself which lies immediately below the inner surface of the bone. The cord is inspected and any material pressing on it is removed. Most cases make good improvement after surgery provided the cord has not be severed during a road traffic accident or permanently damaged by




Referral, Greenmount, Veterinary, vet, disc, disease, prolapse, Orthopaedic, orthopedic, specialist, clinic, fractures, joint, surgery, arthroscopy, endoscopy, spinal, northern, ireland, OCD, FCP, TPO, cruciate ligament, tplo, hip, dysplasia, dislocation, medial, patellar, luxation, broken, leg, wobbler, caudal cervical spondylopathy, lumbar, paralysis,ACL, anterior cruciate ligament rupture, dislocated, dislocation, plating, pinning, external fixator, triple pelvic osteotomy, portadown, co armagh northern ireland, www.vetortho.co.uk, www.vetclinic.co.uk Referral, Greenmount, Veterinary, vet, disc, disease, prolapse, Orthopaedic, orthopedic, specialist, clinic, fractures, joint, surgery, arthroscopy, endoscopy, spinal, northern, ireland, OCD, FCP, TPO, cruciate ligament, tplo, hip, dysplasia, dislocation, medial, patellar, luxation, broken, leg, wobbler, caudal cervical spondylopathy, lumbar, paralysis,ACL, anterior cruciate ligament rupture, dislocated, dislocation, plating, pinning, external fixator, triple pelvic osteotomy, portadown, co armagh northern ireland, www.vetortho.co.uk, www.vetclinic.co.uk Referral, Greenmount, Veterinary, vet, disc, disease, prolapse, Orthopaedic, orthopedic, specialist, clinic, fractures, joint, surgery, arthroscopy, endoscopy, spinal, northern, ireland, OCD, FCP, TPO, cruciate ligament, tplo, hip, dysplasia, dislocation, medial, patellar, luxation, broken, leg, wobbler, caudal cervical spondylopathy, lumbar, paralysis,ACL, anterior cruciate ligament rupture, dislocated, dislocation, plating, pinning, external fixator, triple pelvic osteotomy, portadown, co armagh northern ireland, www.vetortho.co.uk, www.vetclinic.co.uk

Sooty 6 days post surgery for

complete hind leg paralysis

Referral, Greenmount, Veterinary, vet, disc, disease, prolapse, Orthopaedic, orthopedic, specialist, clinic, fractures, joint, surgery, arthroscopy, endoscopy, spinal, northern, ireland, OCD, FCP, TPO, cruciate ligament, tplo, hip, dysplasia, dislocation, medial, patellar, luxation, broken, leg, wobbler, caudal cervical spondylopathy, lumbar, paralysis,ACL, anterior cruciate ligament rupture, dislocated, dislocation, plating, pinning, external fixator, triple pelvic osteotomy, portadown, co armagh northern ireland, www.vetortho.co.uk, www.vetclinic.co.uk Referral, Greenmount, Veterinary, vet, disc, disease, prolapse, Orthopaedic, orthopedic, specialist, clinic, fractures, joint, surgery, arthroscopy, endoscopy, spinal, northern, ireland, OCD, FCP, TPO, cruciate ligament, tplo, hip, dysplasia, dislocation, medial, patellar, luxation, broken, leg, wobbler, caudal cervical spondylopathy, lumbar, paralysis,ACL, anterior cruciate ligament rupture, dislocated, dislocation, plating, pinning, external fixator, triple pelvic osteotomy, portadown, co armagh northern ireland, www.vetortho.co.uk, www.vetclinic.co.uk

Sooty 1 month post spinal surgery for complete hind leg paralysis and fully recovered.

severe pressure. Spinal Surgery however MUST be carried out quickly if the dog or cat is paralysed, if a return to walking again is to be expected. Due to the specialist nature of this surgery and the expense of the equipment required, spinal surgery is expensive, and is again why we recommend pet health insurance for these unexpected events.