Why choose Ascension St. Vincent’s
At Ascension St. Vincent’s, your care starts with a doctor who listens. Our neurosurgeons and specialists take the time to understand you, your health history and your symptoms. Your neurosurgeon works with a team of specialists and is part of an integrated national network of doctors, sharing best practices, knowledge and research while delivering advanced care close to home.
Your care team has the expertise to help find the cause of your symptoms and deliver a treatment plan that helps relieve pain, increase movement and improve your quality of life. And, we connect you with advanced rehabilitation and support after surgery.
Brain, spine and nerve conditions we treat
We diagnose and care for a wide range of brain, spine and nerve conditions. Many conditions can be treated with non-surgical options such as therapy, medication or other treatments. Some spinal conditions that may require surgery include:
- Back pain
- Broken vertebra
- Cervical disk disease
- Herniated disk
- Infection
- Neck pain
- Sciatica (nerve pain in your lower back and down your leg)
- Scoliosis (curved spine) and other spinal deformities
- Spine infection
- Spinal instability (spondylolisthesis)
- Spinal stenosis or narrowing of the spinal canal
- Spinal tumor
- Spondylosis (age related degeneration of the spine)
Minimally-invasive spine surgery
Your care plan may include therapy, medication or surgery. When surgery is recommended, our experienced neurosurgeons use advanced techniques designed to support healing and recovery. Types of spine surgery include:
- Cervical spine surgery
- Disk replacement
- Lumbar spine surgery
- Minimally invasive spine surgery
- Peripheral nerve surgery
- Removal of spinal tumors
- Scoliosis surgery
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Spinal deformity correction surgery
- Spinal radiosurgery
- TOPS System for treating back pain
From preparation for surgery through recovery, you are connected with specialists in physical rehabilitation. We focus on rehabilitation therapies to help safely increase your muscular strength and flexibility.
Helping you prepare for spine surgery
Your neurosurgeon will talk with you before your surgery to help you prepare for your procedure. You may need to stop taking some medications before the procedure, such as blood thinners and aspirin. If you smoke, you will need to stop smoking before surgery. Talk with your doctor about the right diet and exercise before your surgery to best support your recovery. Your care team will also tell you about any restrictions for eating and drinking before surgery.
Depending on the type of surgery you are having, your surgeon may recommend that you have a pre-surgery evaluation. This appointment may include a physical exam and other tests. Our goal is to help make sure you are prepared to have anesthesia and that you have a pre-surgery plan customized for your health needs.
There are also things you can do at home to prepare for surgery, such as adjusting your bed height, clearing walkways, making sure you have essential items and more. Your care team will help you prepare your home to help make your recovery smoother.
What to expect after spine surgery
After surgery, your physical therapist will evaluate your needs, create a care plan for rehabilitation and make sure you are prepared to go home. Your therapist will also help you with walking devices such as a cane or walker, if needed. Working with you and your care team, your physical therapist can help determine the level of physical therapy you may need to recover.