How Long Does Spine Surgery Take?

Spine surgeries vary widely in terms of time they take. You should discuss this with your doctor taking into account the type of procedure, the location and size of the area of the spine affected, the techniques to be used during the procedure (like minimally invasive surgery or MIS) and the condition that needs to be corrected.

The three basic types of back surgery:

• Laminectomy–removing the back part of the bone (lamina) to relieve nerve root compression, or ‘pinched nerve’ takes around one to two hours.
• Discectomy–removing a portion of a disc to relieve pressure on a nerve.
• Spinal Fusion–fusion of two or more vertebrae for more stability, to correct a deformity or to relieve pain; this may involve spinal implants for stability, may take between two and seven hours.