Awake spine surgery at Duke Neurosurgery

Awake spine fusion surgery benefits patients who are at risk for adverse reaction or long recovery from general anesthesia. The first awake spine fusion surgery at Duke in November 2019 by Duke neurosurgeon Muhammad Abd-El-Barr, MD, PhD. This novel approach is beneficial not only for patients who can’t tolerate general anesthesia, but for a much larger segment of the patient population. The benefits of the surgery without general anesthesia include a quicker recovery and less time in the hospital. “Eliminating the general anesthesia means faster recovery from surgery and fewer postoperative complications such as delirium, nausea, and vomiting,” said Abd-El-Barr.