What to Expect from Neurosurgery at AHN Jefferson Hospital

When you’re dealing with back or neck pain that just won’t go away, it can impact your whole life. If less invasive treatment options haven’t brought relief, neurosurgery might be the next step in your recovery.

At AHN Jefferson Spine Center, our expert care team is here to guide you through every step of the process — from deciding if surgery is right for you to helping you heal and feel stronger afterward.

Reasons you might consider neurosurgery

Surgery is usually recommended only after other treatment options haven’t helped. If you’ve been living with pain for a long time or have a spine injury that’s not improving, your doctor may refer you to a neurosurgeon.

Conditions that can be treated with neurosurgery include:

• Chronic back or neck pain
• Spinal arthritis
• A spine injury, like a herniated disc (when the soft center of a disc pushes out and causes pain)
• Spinal stenosis (when the spinal canal narrows and puts pressure on nerves)
• A spinal fracture
• A spinal tumor

“Surgery becomes a serious consideration when we’ve tried other treatments — like physical therapy, medication, or injections — and the patient is still in pain, or their symptoms are getting worse,” said Akash Agarwal, MD, FAANS, FCNS, neurosurgeon at Jefferson Hospital. “In those cases, surgery may offer the best chance to relieve pressure on nerves, restore movement, and help someone feel better overall in daily life.”

Types of neurosurgeries

AHN Jefferson Hospital Spine Center specializes in back, neck, and spine surgery. Common procedures include:

• Laminectomy – Removes a small piece of bone to relieve pressure on spinal nerves.
• Spinal fusion – Joins two spinal bones to reduce pain and increase stability.
• Neck fusion – Similar to spinal fusion but done in the neck.
• Microdiscectomy – Removes part of a herniated disc that’s causing pain.
• Balloon kyphoplasty – Minimally invasive option to treat vertebral compression fractures.
• Basivertebral nerve ablation – Minimally invasive option to treat chronic axial back pain.

If your doctors decide it’s time to explore surgery, the neurosurgery team at Jefferson Hospital will talk with you about what procedure makes the most sense for you, based on your treatment needs.

Preparing for surgery

Before your procedure, your doctors will complete a thorough pre-surgery evaluation. This will include doing lab work to check your overall health and reviewing your symptoms and health history. You will also be evaluated by a team of specialists to create a treatment plan for your pain relief. The team may include a mix of:

• Neurosurgeons and neurologists
• Nurses and care coordinators
• Pain management specialists
• Physical therapists

Most neurosurgeries at Jefferson Hospital use small incisions to limit pain and speed up recovery. Your care team will talk you through exactly what to expect based on your diagnosis, the type of procedure, and your treatment plan.

Healing and recovery

It’s normal to feel some pain after surgery. Recovery after neurosurgery generally takes anywhere from several weeks to several months, depending on the procedure and whether you have other health issues that might complicate healing. To help you recover, your doctors will:

• Schedule follow-up visits starting about six weeks after surgery, and continue follow-up visits every three months to monitor your progress.
• Give you a post-surgery checklist to help you return to daily activities.
• Refer you to physical therapy after spine surgery, if needed, to help you regain movement and strength.

“Surgery is not the finish line — it’s the turning point,” said Dr. Agarwal. “We stay closely connected with patients after surgery to make sure they’re healing well, feeling better, and moving forward more comfortably.”

Committed to your pain relief

Neurosurgeons at AHN Jefferson Hospital are committed to helping you feel better every day. Learn more about neurosurgery for spine, back, and neck issues at AHN Jefferson Hospital’s Spine Center.