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Back and Neck Surgery

If your care team determines that neurosurgery might be your best option for addressing back and neck symptoms, MyMichigan Health has an expert team of board-certified neurosurgeons who can perform a range of simple to complex spine procedures. Upon initial evaluation, our neurosurgery team will thoroughly assess your condition and work with you to determine a care plan that best fits your unique needs.

Spine Surgeries Offered at MyMichigan Health

Depending on your symptoms, history and several additional factors, your neurosurgeon will determine whether surgery will provide you with the best functional outcome and what type of surgery is best for you. These are a few of the most common types of surgeries performed at MyMichigan:

  • Discectomy (or microdiscectomy) - The herniated or damaged disc in the spine is removed in order to relieve pressure on nearby nerves. A microdiscectomy involves removing only a portion of the herniated or damaged disc, and is performed through a small incision on the back.
  • Laminectomy (or hemilaminectomy) - The surgeon removes part of the lamina, or the bony “roof” of the vertebra of your spine. Removing the lamina opens up the spinal column to relieve compressed nerves, which is why this procedure is also known as a spinal decompression. A hemilaminectomy is similar, but only a small portion of the lamina is removed.
  • Spinal fusion - During this procedure, 2 or more of the spinal vertebrae are fused together to help maintain the alignment and stability of the spine. Your surgeon may use bone graft or special hardware to fuse portions of the spine together. There are several different approaches to spinal fusion surgery, and your surgeon will determine which one is best for your condition.

This list is not all-inclusive, and your neurosurgeon will make the final decision regarding what type of surgery is right for you.

Focus on Quality and Improving Outcomes

MyMichigan is committed to providing you a high-quality experience and outcome for your spine surgery. We follow evidence-based best practices, including:

  • Spine Camp - We provide detailed education and helpful checklists to ensure that you and your chosen support person are well-prepared before your surgery. This has been demonstrated to improve post-surgical outcomes, patient comfort and satisfaction.
  • Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) - We are active in this collaborative to measure and improve the care and outcomes of patients who undergo spine surgery throughout the state of Michigan by implementing evidenc-based best practices. If you have spine surgery at MyMichigan Health, a member of MyMichigan's MSSIC team will be in contact with you before and after surgery to evaluate your progress and address any concerns you may have.
  • Comprehensive Spine Care Pathways - Care and treatment decisions in our WellSpine program are guided by our evidence-based Spine Care algorithm that matches your plan of care to your specific symptoms and health history.

Ask Your Doctor

If you are experiencing back or neck symptoms such as pain, weakness, numbness or limited range of motion that do not resolve with rest and modification of your activities, ask your doctor for a referral to MyMichigan's WellSpine program.

Ask Your Doctor

If you are experiencing back or neck symptoms such as pain, weakness, numbness or limited range of motion that do not resolve with rest and modification of your activities, ask your doctor for a referral to MyMichigan's WellSpine program.

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