Private Spinal Treatments & Procedures at our Dublin and Galway Clinics

If you are experiencing pain or discomfort in your spine, whether in your back or neck, or shoulders, your GP might recommend a visit to a Blackrock Health spinal clinic.  This is especially true if there is any concern that your symptoms relate to nerve damage - suggested by symptoms such as tingling and weakness in your arms or legs. You may also be referred to our specialist spinal clinics if you have an underlying medical history that could affect your spinal health. This could include scoliosis or osteoporosis, and even degenerative joint diseases like arthritis. There are several other reasons why you may need the help of our spinal specialists, including severe trauma and sports injuries. Patients with severe or complex back pain often need a combination of surgical and physiotherapy treatment. Surgery may be required to deal with bony disorders such as scoliosis, or compression disorders such as herniated discs.

Blackrock Health has a long-standing reputation for clinical excellence in spinal medicine. With a team of highly skilled and experienced spinal consultants, we offer a range of surgical and non-surgical options. We use the latest techniques and technologies to provide accurate diagnoses and effective treatment. You can expect personalised care from a dedicated team of professionals who are committed to improving your quality of life.  Our experts work together to try and diagnose, treat or manage acute and chronic conditions that affect the back and spine. We provide specialised care from highly qualified orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and physiotherapists. Spinal surgery can be undertaken by either orthopaedic or neurosurgeons, who have different training and different areas of expertise. All our team have particular expertise in treating issues of the spine. We aim to identify the underlying causes of your back pain by performing tests and exams - then recommending tailored treatments.

Our spinal procedures include:

• Anterior cervical decompression and fusion (surgery to discs in the neck)
• Laminectomy or nerve root decompression (to ease pressure on the spinal cord and nerves)
• Lower back surgery
• Microdiscectomy (for a prolapsed disc)
• Spinal fusion using rods and screws
• Vertebroplasty (to relieve fracture pain)

An Experienced and Expert Team

Spinal Services in Blackrock Health include a team of surgeons with decades of accumulated experience. This experience includes fellowships in internationally recognised Centres of Excellence - worldwide. Our team has been leading progress towards minimally invasive spinal procedures in Ireland. When appropriate, these offer an alternative to open surgery and offer many advantages. These include:

• Earlier recovery
• Fewer complications
• Less tissue damage
• More rapid bone healing
• Shorter operating time,

Minimally invasive procedures are available for the treatment of a wide range of conditions, including:

• Herniated discs,
• Spinal stenosis,
• Tumours 

The approach can apply to a wide range of procedures including spinal fixation, fusion and fractures.

Spinal Deformity Surgery

Spinal deformities, such as scoliosis, can be treated with several different surgical options. These include vertebral body distraction, spine fusion, and connective devices - like rods and screws. Depending on the severity of the curvature, these treatments may be recommended for pain relief or to improve posture. With vertebral body distraction, space is created between two adjacent vertebrae in order to realign the spine. Fusion is a permanent method that joins two or more parts of the spine together to create stability and prevent further movement. Lastly, various rods and screws can be installed to hold bones in new positions after corrective surgery. Each patient's care plan will depend upon several factors. We'll thoroughly discuss your treatment option before making any decisions.

Blackrock Health has established one of the largest spinal surgery centres in Ireland. Blackrock Clinic has a particular expertise in scoliosis spinal deformity with a caseload second only to Our Lady’s Hospital, Crumlin. Our team in Blackrock Clinic has performed more than 150 complicated spinal deformity surgeries in the last seven years. This is in addition to its pioneering work with minimally invasive and major open-surgery procedures. Hermitage Clinic and Galway Clinic also have considerable orthopaedic and neurosurgery expertise - including spinal surgery.

Advanced Diagnostics

Patients who attend Blackrock Health can rely on the most advanced diagnostic testing available. You can access our extensive range of tests and scans with a referral from your GP or consultant. Combined with the expertise of our spinal teams, you can be confident of the correct diagnosis and the most suitable care path. Here is a selection of the diagnostic and imaging tools available to our spinal teams across our three hospitals:

Back Triage Clinic

At the Blackrock Clinic, we offer a back triage facility, which is available by GP referral and offers rapid access to a specialised team. The clinic aims to identify and differentiate between simple backache, nerve root pain, and more serious causes. This triage clinic also aims to do this very early on in your symptoms - to ensure effective and efficient treatment. We aim to quickly identify patients with serious spinal and neurological issues. This allows us to recommend appropriate medical or surgical interventions with less delay. Our triage clinic offers prompt referrals to orthopaedic surgeons or neurosurgeons when needed.