In general, bracing is not required after a disc operation or a fusion operation performed with implants, however, each surgeon has their own protocol and some may advise bracing to remind the patient to avoid certain activities following surgery.
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A use of a brace remains controversial in the hands of most surgeons. With solid, stable instrumentation, a brace can frequently be avoided. It is clear that the amount of time for which most spinal surgeons put patients in braces, if they use them at all, has gotten less and less over the last 15 to 20 years. Spinal surgeons in general are waiting for what is known as prospective medical studies to prove or disprove the true benefit of any brace.
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Braces are not typically recommended if the quality of the patient's bone is good.
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Braces after surgery are being used less and less. One of the benefits of spinal instrumentation is to avoid the need for prolonged bracing after surgery. The purpose of a brace is mostly to offer support to the spine during the healing process. The spinal instrumentation may be able to take the place of this function.
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It depends upon what your surgery is, and whether instrumentation is utilized.
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Not usually. We only use a brace in adult patients who have undergone scoliosis surgery and who have soft bone. In such cases, the added support of the brace will hopefully keep the spinal implants from pulling out of the soft bone.
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With the implants we have today the time a patient must spend in a brace has shortened considerable. In the lower lumbar region, depending on how I approach the spine, meaning if I use a minimally invasive procedure, then I will put my patient in a brace maybe for a week. If I don't use a minimally invasive technique, then I keep the brace on until they are comfortable and feel strong enough not to need a brace for some added comfort and support. Theoretically with all these implants, you don't really need braces anymore. A lot of times we will recommend a brace just for one week or until the patient feels comfortable without a brace. If the quality of the bone is not very good, meaning if the patient has osteoporosis, then that patient will stay in the brace longer.
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Unless a patient is at a high risk for non-fusion, I generally do not prescribe a brace.
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Patients having a decompression (discectomy/laminectomy) only typically do not need a brace. Sometimes a corset is used for a few weeks for comfort. Patients undergoing a posterior lumbar fusion need a brace for 4 to 6 months.
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Only certain types of surgery require bracing. Most bracing can be stopped in 6 to 12 weeks after surgery. Also, because of newer types of implants used during surgery, bulky braces are no longer necessary.
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The need for post-operative bracing depends on many factors, such as the spinal condition being treated, bone quality, and type of operation performed. Most decompression procedures, such as discectomy, do not require bracing. Spinal implants have dramatically reduced the need for prolonged bracing after fusion operations. Titanium implants provide an internal splint that supports the spine as the body establishes the spinal fusion. Despite this, I often prescribe a soft corset for comfort and support during the recovery period.
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Most patients that have a spinal fusion do wear a soft corset for between three and six weeks after surgery. Patients having spinal surgery without fusion do not need a brace. Patients with neck surgery usually only wear a soft collar following surgery.
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Often a brace is helpful to temporarily support the spinal repair. It can also aid in pain control by giving your spine support.
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Often a brace is helpful to temporarily support the spinal repair. It can also aid in pain control but giving your spine support.
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It depends on what type of surgery you are talking about. With a fusion, I place people in a brace when they are up and active for three months after surgery. For a minimally invasive approach, with a herniated disc I don't put them in a brace at all.
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With the more common use of spinal instrumentation most patients do not have to use external braces. Interestingly, internal spinal instrumentation is much more effective at immobilizing the spine than the external braces. It has been my experience that patients would rather have the internal rods and screws than wear a brace for 3-6 months after surgery.
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Modern spinal instrumentation has for the most part allowed patients to recover from surgery without needing a brace. Some exceptions are when bone is soft and a major spinal alignment has been required to correct spinal deformity.
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The wearing of a brace is a personal decision made by the surgeon. Factors contributing to collar usage include, number of levels fused, vertebrectomy verses discetomy, age of the patient, quality of the patients bone. Other factors include the patients physical health ie: diabetes, smoking, obesity. I believe the titanium plate eliminates the need for the brace in most cases.
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Not on most occurrences.
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The need for external bracing after a spinal fusion depends upon the nature of your spinal problem, the type of surgery performed and the preference of your surgeon. Your surgeon will have a specific opinion as to the need for a brace after your operation.
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Wearing a brace is surgeon dependent and typically involves multiple factors such as the extent of the surgery and also the patient’s bone quality.
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Braces are commonly used after surgery, depending upon the specific situation. It is not necessary for some lumbar operations, but a brace may be necessary for about 6 weeks after a fusion operation.
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The need for post-operative bracing depends on the immediate stability achieved at the time of the surgery as well as the individual preference of the surgeon. Some procedures such as a 360° fusion allow for avoiding any bracing while other operations such as non-instrumented fusion or instrumentation in the setting of osteoporosis may require rigid bracing.
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Not all spinal surgeries require wearing a brace. If your surgeon feels like he needs to protect his surgical procedure with a brace, he will prescribe that you wear one after surgery. In general decompressions without fusion require no brace, and, sometimes, fusions with internal fixation, if the surgeon feels the fixation is enough, require no brace.
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There are many types of surgery involving the neck or the back where we often use a brace after surgery, and this depends on the individual patient. Many times we use titanium implants to stabilize the surgical area which eliminates the need for a brace after surgery. Additionally, there are several procedures that are performed that do not require fusion and do not require a brace. Many times a soft brace is given, mainly for comfort and to alleviate the stress on the muscles after surgery.
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You may or may not need to wear a brace after back surgery, depending on your particular situation and your surgeon’s preference. As surgeons continue to move toward using more rigid fixation (spinal implants), the use of bracing is decreasing and in the future may even become obsolete in most cases. Nowadays, even when braces are used, it’s usually for a much shorter period of time. You need to discuss whether you will need any external support with your spinal surgeon.
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This is surgeon and case dependent. Wearing a brace is never bad advice. However, with the newer spinal instrumentation and fusion devices, less bracing is being used and earlier rehabilitation started.
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This question needs to be answered by the surgeon who performs your surgery. Some surgeons, like myself, hardly ever utilize bracing. Other surgeons use bracing after every procedure they perform.
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Yes, you will need a lumbar spine corsette; will be fitted by physical therapy.
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