What should I be aware of after minimally invasive spinal foraminoplasty?

  1.Postoperative diet: You can eat and drink after surgery. There is no special contraindication for general diet, but alcohol is prohibited within 3 weeks after surgery, and it is better not to eat fish, shrimp, crab, spicy and stimulating food, etc. For diabetic patients, the diabetic diet should be continued after surgery to effectively control blood sugar.  2.Postoperative rehabilitation: Patients should be bedridden within 3 days after surgery, try not to do sitting up, standing, walking movements, and if necessary, they should wear a waist brace for activities. When eating, they can lean on the bed and should wear a lumbar girth. During the period of bed rest, appropriate movements of hooking the feet and lifting the legs should be done, 20-30 times each time, 2-3 times a day. If the elderly have difficulties, family members or escorts can assist in completing them, or they can help the patient to massage the lower limbs or waist properly. After 3 days of surgery, the patient can move appropriately, such as going to the toilet, sitting at the bedside to eat, walking on the floor, etc., but must wear a waist brace. From 3 days after surgery to 7 days after surgery, the patient should be more bedridden and perform functional exercises in bed. As before, the patient should do more foot hooking and straight leg raising training, and gradually increase the number and frequency compared with before. On the 3rd day after surgery, blood can be drawn to recheck routine blood count, blood sedimentation and C-reactive protein, and if the results are normal, the patient is usually discharged from the hospital 5-7 days after surgery. Within 3 weeks after discharge from the hospital, you should move to the ground and lie in bed more often, and gradually increase the activity after 3 weeks. Wear a waist brace for 3 months after surgery, and after 3 months, you should wear a waist brace when sitting in a car or working.  3.About the “postoperative recurrent period”: Some patients will have their original symptoms again or even aggravated in about 3-4 weeks after surgery, which may be caused by: increased activities after surgery; not wearing the waist circumference as prescribed by the doctor; not taking blood circulation and analgesic drugs. After the symptoms of “recurrent postoperative period” appear, the patient should communicate with the doctor or come to the hospital in time. According to the patient’s condition, the doctor can give anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, blood circulation and blood stasis, most of them can be relieved or recovered, and if necessary, sacral canal closure or intravenous drip dehydration, swelling, pain relief and hormone drugs are feasible.  4.Post-discharge medication: It is recommended to use anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, blood-activating drugs and neurotrophic drugs for 3 months after surgery to facilitate the smooth passage of the recurrent period and reduce postoperative symptoms. If convenient, review every 2 weeks in outpatient clinic within 3 months after surgery, or communicate with the doctor by phone.  5. Post-discharge rehabilitation training: should be carried out gradually and in accordance with the doctor’s instructions: insist on doing the “swallow flying” movement of tilting the head and raising the waist (slowly and soothingly) every day, 20-30 strokes each time, 2-3 times a day; lower the head less, bend the waist less, do not sit for a long time, do not bend and lift heavy things. Do not engage in long-term bending or prolonged squatting work or activities, such as long hours on the Internet, long hours playing cards, long meetings, pulling weeds, etc. Nor should you be absolutely bedridden without any exercise after discharge from the hospital. You should keep in touch with your doctor within 3 months after the surgery so that you can guide the medication and rehabilitation exercises.  6. Review and follow-up: After surgery, you should come to the hospital for review and follow-up in the 3rd month, half year and 1 year. Bring the pre-operative imaging data when you come to the hospital, and communicate with the doctor by phone when it is inconvenient.