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How long do you stay in the hospital after spinal fusion surgery?

Most patients stay in the hospital for two to four days after surgery. Once your pain is well managed with medication you can take by mouth and the surgeons see that there are no signs of complications following the surgery, you will be able to return home.

Full recovery from spinal fusion can take several months. Most patients are able to return to a routine office job within one month. A more physical job or regular exercise that involves more than light walking will take up to three months or more.

The exact activities you will be able to return to depends on the number of vertebrae that were fused and your overall health. For otherwise healthy patients with a small fusion, a full return to previous activities is expected within 3-6 months.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of ACA compliant major medical plans. Coverage and plan options vary and may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure. You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.