40 Questions to Ask Your Surgeon Before Back Surgery

Having spine surgery is a big decision, and it's in your best interest to ask relevant questions so you know how to prepare, how to select a well qualified surgeon, and what to expect both immediately after the surgery and longer term.

Consider the following list a starting point for you to help guide you in your consultation with your surgeon; think about printing it out and taking it with you to your consultation.

Learn more: Preparation Before Back Surgery

Ask your surgeon questions before and after surgery

Having questions prepared for your pre- and post-op appointments is valuable.
See Specific Questions to Ask Your Spine Surgeon

Questions before you decide to have the surgery

For more information, see Back Surgery and Neck Surgery Overview

See Getting an Accurate Back Pain Diagnosis

View our Spine Surgery Videos

Read more about Non-Surgical Options for Pain Relief

See Quitting Smoking Before a Spinal Fusion and Deciding on Surgery for Isthmic Spondylolisthesis

See Prepare for Blood Loss After Spine Fusion Surgery

See Spine Fusion Risks and Complications

What type of surgery are you recommending? Why?
What is the source of the pain that is being addressed? How do you know this?
Exploratory surgery is never done on the spine.
Please explain the procedure in great detail.
The amount of information depends on your personal preferences. Some patients want to know everything, some not so much!
What are my non-surgical options?
What is the natural course of my condition if it is not surgically addressed?
What would you recommend if I were your friend—would you recommend this same operation?
How long will the surgery take?
What are the side effects, potential risks, and potential complications of the surgery?
Please explain the risks and how they relate to me personally.
For example, different risk factors like smoking, being overweight, or having grade 3 spondylolisthesis, etc., will affect surgical outcomes.
What if, during my surgery, you encounter a different spine issue than you expected?
Do I need to donate my own blood? If yes, why?
For most types of back surgery, blood does not need to be donated ahead of time.
Do you perform the whole procedure? Will any students and/or other surgeons be doing any parts of the operation? If yes, who are they and what are their qualifications?
Some surgeons only do a small part of the operation while others do the whole thing. If another surgeon is required, e.g. a vascular surgeon, their role is important and it would be good to know their qualifications.
Who else will assist you in the operation? What are their background and qualifications?
What are the long-term consequences of the proposed procedure?
For example, will the operation ever need to be re-done? If it is a fusion, will it lead to degeneration at other levels of the spine?

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Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) Video

Ask your surgeon if they have fellowship training, especially if you'll be receiving a fusion.
Watch: Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) VideoQuestions about the surgeon
See Multilevel Spinal Fusion for Low Back Pain
See How and When to Get a Second Opinion Before Spine Surgery
How many times have you done this procedure?
Generally, when it comes to surgery, "practice makes perfect," so more experience is better. However, if the doctor is recommending something that is not often done, such as multi-level fusions, more experience would not necessarily be better.

Are you board eligible or board certified?
You can usually look on the wall and see a certificate.
Are you fellowship trained in spine surgery?
Fellowship training is more important if the surgery is a fusion, artificial disc replacement, or other more extensive procedure.
If I want to get a second opinion, can you recommend a surgeon I should go to?
The recommendation should be someone not in the same practice.
Statistically, what is the success rate for this type of surgery? What is your personal success rate, and how many of this type of surgery have you done?
Can I talk to other patients who have had a similar procedure?
The patient will have to sign a HIPAA release form, but typically, happy patients want to share their success stories.

Any defensiveness on the part of the surgeon when you ask these types of questions may be a red flag. A surgeon with good results and appropriate qualifications will not be threatened by these types of questions and will respect your attention to these matters.

See How to Select a Spine Surgeon

Questions about what to expect after the surgery

See Getting Adequate Pain Control After Back Surgery