Spinal Surgery

A brief overview of the Spinal Surgery Specialized Center

Our center specializes in spinal surgery. Due to the scope of care provided and the number of operations performed, the Spinal Surgery Specialized Center ranks among the leading medical centers within the Czech Republic. We focus on treatment of nearly all spinal conditions and diseases, such as injuries of the spine and spinal cord, degenerative and oncologic diseases, inflammation of the spine, and congenital deformities.

Every year we attend to the needs of more than 12.000 outpatients. We provide spinal surgery to nearly 1.400 patients and accommodate around 1.500 patients in our ward every year.

University Hospital in Motol provides unique opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation between members of all specialties in the treatment of our patients. We can provide a full range of service, from modern diagnostic methods to specialized care for patients with spinal cord injuries.

How will your detailed schedule look like? What type of surgeries, procedures, methods or treatment can you observe? Check what can you see by shadowing every member of the mentoring team.

Is this specialty placement ideal for you?

This surgical specialty represents a perfect match for those of you interested in nursing and physical therapy, as the patients after spinal surgery need medical, nursing and physiotherapeuthical care. We open the placement limitedly during the year, because its focus is very specific. There will always be just one student, so your mentor will pay an intense attention to you - big chance to gain a great overview of nursing job tasks. In this department, the successful recovery is extremely important. Sensibility, patience and reliability are the skills you should possess, since the patients are reliant on the care of others.

Nurses are in the right place here. You will learn how to provide post-operative care in terms of both, psychical and physical treatment - that is a factor of professionalism. You will meet your colleagues from Physiotherapy, too.

Let's take a closer look at the specialties…

Our fundamental task is to provide surgical solutions for injuries of the spine as well as post-traumatic conditions, followed by rehabilitation during the primary stage of post-operational development. We put particular emphasis on traumatology of the cervical spine, including injuries of the cervical cranial transition. At present, the department's tasks also include subsequent care for patients with injuries of the spinal cord until they are ready to be transferred to the Spinal Unit in our hospital.

We have in our possession an O – ARM spinal navigation system, which allows us to perform 3D imaging of the spine during the course of an operation. We are only hospital in the Czech Republic with such a device. After an operation, the neurological functions of our patients are closely monitored using our NIM – ECLIPSE monitoring device.

Our center consists of two outpatient departments – Treatment of Injuries and Diseases of the Spine and Scoliosis in Children.

The spine is made up of 26 bone discs called vertebrae. Their purpose is to protect the spinal cord and allow us to stand and bend. However, there are a number of problems that can change the structure of the spine and/or damage the vertebrae and surrounding tissue. Among these problems are infections, injuries, tumors, conditions such as scoliosis and ankylosing spondylitis, and bone changes caused by aging, such as spinal stenosis or herniated disks. These problems can lead to bone changes that put pressure on the nerves or spinal cord, which consequently causes severe pain to our patients. Our Outpatient Department for the Treatment of Injuries and Diseases of the Spine aims to tackle these problems and allows our patients to enjoy a pain-free life again.

In the Outpatient Department for Scoliosis in Children, as the name suggests, we focus on treatment of scoliosis in children. Scoliosis is a muscoskeletal disorder which causes a lateral curvature of the spine. The causes can be divided into two groups: nonstructural and structural. Patients with nonstructural scoliosis have structurally normal spines that appear curved. This form of scoliosis is caused by an underlying condition such as muscle spasms, inflammatory conditions, or a difference in leg length, and can be treated by correcting the underlying problem. Patients with structural scoliosis, on the other hand, have a curved spinal structure, which is often caused by another syndrome or disease. In children, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis – a variety of scoliosis with an unknown cause – is the most common type and typically arises after the age of 10.

Who do we take care of?

Our team provides surgical treatment and subsequent rehabilitation for patients who have suffered spinal and spinal cord injuries, as well as those with oncological diseases of the spine. Among these are tumorous diseases, metastatic diseases, and pathological fractures leading to compression of nerve structures, which are usually accompanied by a neurological deficit.

Furthermore, we focus on treatment of inflammation of the spine and degenerative spinal diseases, such as spondylosis, spondyloarthritis with stenosis of the cervical and lumbar spine, degenerative scoliosis, spondylolistheses, and other instabilities. Last but not least, we offer surgical solutions for degenerative changes in the cervical spine in cases of rheumatoid arthritis and congenital developmental disorders.

Our center is also capable of performing pediatric spinal surgery to treat spinal injuries, tumors, scoliosis, and others.

Our methods and procedures

Our specialized team uses these methods and procedures:

A new technique for en bloc resection of subaxial cervical vertebrae
En bloc resection of the sacrum
En bloc resection of thoracolumbar vertebrae
Correction of deformities and scoliosis
Kyphosis correction of deformities
Pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO)

How does the usual schedule look like?

Our team at the Specialized Center for Spinal Surgery works on a regular schedule. Shadowing here will allow you to see some of the most interesting cases of the field, while 25 hours weekly are guaranteed, but it can be even more.

If you are not sure whether this choice is suitable for you, don't hesitate to contact us. We will discuss your experience and motivation and come up with the best solution for you.

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Our Team

Photo Jan Šibík

Bc. Lenka Šipulová

Charge Nurse

Nurse

I view nursing more as a mission than just a job. I enjoy seeing that the work we do has a purpose and is helpful to people. When someone is brought in on a stretcher and, after everything he has to go through (in the operating theatre, recovery room, etc.), is able to walk out of the building on his own, it is a priceless feeling. Not everyone is fit for this demanding profession. I am very proud of my colleagues, who do good work as a true team while standing by one another. This fellowship among us gives me a good feeling.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

From an early age, I was often ill and spent a lot of time in the hospital. During that time, I developed an attachment to my nurses, as they were caring people who could help in a life-threatening situation. I do not remember the doctors who took care of me, but ever since then I have often thought about the work of a nurse. My career as a nurse started after elementary school, when I had to decide which profession I wanted to pursue. I did not have to think about it for long. I sent an application form to a high school of nursing, and in a few weeks I was accepted. Working as a nurse is a chance to help people with something they are dependent on – their health.

If you want to see and get to know the demanding but glorious work of a nurse in a center for spinal surgery, there is no better option than to visit us at the University Hospital in Motol through the Czech Hospital Placements Program.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

The way people handle their job depends on their attitude. Helping patients and other nurses is a part of my everyday work. I am pleased when a patient appreciates the care they receive and eventually thanks me for it. That is the best reward I can get. Our nursing team does the best for our patients, so we can predict possible complications. Of course, we can only do our work successfully in cooperation with doctors and with the help of other non-healthcare staff.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

I will teach you about how a patient can get to our department, talk about the most frequent medical diagnoses that are treated in our department, and, of course, about other associated diseases. Moreover, I will explain the nurses’ and doctors’ documentation involving registration of incoming patients, transportation of patients to other departments, and their release from the standard department and ICU. With the patients’ agreement, I will show you all our nursing duties, such as administration of medication, application of peripheral venous catheters, management of invasive inputs, taking samples of biological material, implementation of permanent urine catheters, re-binding of surgical wounds, treatment of skin defects, and the nursing of bed sores. Be ready to meet patients coming from an operating theatre, watch nurses connect patients to monitoring devices see oxygen therapy, and much more. You will observe the administration of blood derivatives and infusion solutions, the exercise regimes of patients, and physiotherapy. Finally, I will show you the cooperation of nurses and doctors. In case of an examination, you may have the chance to accompany the patient outside of the department for medical checkups.

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

The work of a nurse is very demanding, and sometimes pretty exhausting. After hours spent at my workplace, where the phone and doorbells always ring, I like the quiet moments. I like to rest by listening to relaxing music, reading a book, or taking a trip outdoors. After I recharge my batteries, I go dancing, visit friends and family, and enjoy a social life.

My motto…

Don’t forget to tell yourself every morning: “Life is wonderful.”