Risks of Spinal Decompression Surgery and Legal Recovery Options

In many ways one would better consider the risks of not having surgery to release spinal compression.  If spinal compression is minimal a patient would have nerve disruption and back pain, tingling and erectile dysfunction.  If the compression is worse, with more blocked nerves, there would be increased pain, incontinence, loss of bowl control, a belt-like band of pain and possibly paralysis.  Once spinal compression is symptomatic it can worsen in a few hours to a few days.  Physician can order an MRI or CT scan to detect exactly where the compression is and if it is caused by a fractured disc, dislocated vertebra, ruptured or herniated disc, abnormal bone growth, bleeding, an abscess or finally, a tumor.  The treatment is decompression surgery as soon as possible to address the underlying condition.

Surgical Risks

Hemorrhage, infection, blood clots, nerve damage, tissue damage, permanent loss of mobility and adverse drug reactions are risks associated with any surgical procedure.  However, below are some of the risks specifically associated with a spinal decompression procedure.

• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Hardware failure
• Bone graft migration
• Adjacent-segment disease
• Nerve damage causing persistent pain
• Vertebrae failure to fuse

Legal Recovery Options

When a patient finds that he has suffered an injury do to medical care and treatment he received he may seek to take legal action against the physician or healthcare providers he believes are responsible.  It may be important to consider whether the injury suffered was a “bad outcome” which did not happen due to any act of professional negligence by the physician or whether the injury was clearly a preventable adverse surgical result, due to an act or failure to act by the healthcare provider which fell below the acceptable standard of care provided by competent physicians in the same field of medicine.  If the conclusion is that the injury was the result of some act or failure to act by the healthcare provider then it may be an actionable instance of medical malpractice. 

Getting Legal Help

If you or a member of your family has suffered a spinal decompression injury from a surgical procedure to repair the spine it may be helpful to discuss the circumstances of the injury and the attempted surgical repair with a medical malpractice attorney.  An attorney will have the experience to quickly identify an instance of medical negligence and take the necessary legal steps to protect the rights of the injured patient.