New findings suggest that when blood pressure is kept at stable levels during surgery, patients with a spinal injury have a much better chance of regaining mobility.
Spinal injuries are serious injuries that can have a devastating impact on the quality of a person’s life, including his or her ability to live a normal life, go to work and earn a living. Spinal injuries are often caused as a result of blunt force trauma, like the kind that is caused in a car accident or during a serious fall.
Surgery is often performed to treat a spinal cord injury. A new study finds that even patients who have suffered serious spinal injuries can regain functional mobility, provided their blood pressure is maintained within a certain range during the surgery. The study found that precise and accurate blood pressure management is crucial in the success of spinal surgeries. When patients had a fluctuating blood pressure that was either too high or too low during the surgery, they found it difficult to regain neuromotor skills after the surgery. The researchers found that the optimum blood pressure range during the surgery was between 76 mmHg and 104 to 117 mmHg. When blood pressure was maintained between this clearly defined range during the surgery, the researchers found that the risk of long term or serious paralysis was lower.
A spinal cord injury can result in paralysis, or restrict movement and mobility. A person who suffers a spinal cord injury may find that he is no longer able to work at the job that he was working at before the injury. This can result in a significant drop in the person’s ability to earn a living as well as his income levels.