Is Spine Surgery Safe After 80?
As spine surgery continues to evolve, anesthetics and surgical instruments have advanced significantly. These innovations allow surgeons to safely treat patients of older age. In this case, Dr. Yoshihiro Katsuura, a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon serving Marin, novato, mendocino and sonoma, explains how he helped an 80-year-old patient return to basic daily living activities she believed she would never be able to perform again. This was only accomplished once conservative care such as exercise, medications and injections were no loner working and surgery was the only viable option for a cure. Using the latest spinal fusion technology and cement bone augmentationa, a recent scientific breakthrough to strengthen osteopenic bones (bones with low bone mineral density), he was able to stabilize her problem and get her back to life.
Before surgery, this patient came in with excruciating back pain that prevented her to perform basic activities such as walking half a block or turning in bed without experiencing excruciating radiating back pain. After a successful surgery, she can now not only walk, but dance in celebration.
As one has the privilege of advancing in age, it is often accompanied by increasing concerns in undergoing surgery safely, particularly in the neck and back. However, a significant amount of degenerative conditions and encounters with osteoporosis (poor bone quality) occur in older patients, necessitating a surgical intervention to relieve pain. These conditions won’t improve on their own, and in the past, many were left to suffer, stuck with horrific orthopedic conditions that stopped their mobility.
Now the surgical technology has advanced so far, that we can routinely perform spine surgery on 80 and even 90 year old patients. There are of course risks with any surgical intervention, but age as a number, is no longer a limit. Most of our patients have high expectations for mobility and quality of life. We are here to help them meet your goals and stay active.