“My mother is having a lot of back pain. Is a back surgery advisable at the age of 74?”
My mother is 74 years old and has a severe case of diabetes. She has been experiencing back pain, on and off, for no obvious reason. Her doctor believes that she might need back surgery. Is a back surgery advisable given her age and health condition?
6 Answers
yes
Hopefully she can avoid it. Epidural injection and or Physical Therapy May be better options.
It’s difficult to answer with only this info, but generally I would avoid any surgery unless the cause of the problem is identifiable and the chances of improvement are good. Also, severe diabetes can significantly complicate any surgical procedure.
She needs to be evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon or a neurosurgeon that does spine surgery. She would first need a diagnosis before we determine if surgery would be appropriate for her.
I would not recommend such surgery absent an indication to do so.
No. I would recommend therapy and/or injections.
