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| The Surgical Technologist | JUNE 2016 264 the office for a follow-up visit. Their stitches will be removed and their incision will be checked. Their neurologic functions and vital signs will be checked and the patient will be able to ask any further post-op questions. C O M P L I C A T I O N S In endoscopic spinal surgery, there are very few complications. The most common is dural tear which occurs in less than 5% of patients. Dural tears and spinal fluid leaks can lead to a headache lasting two to three days but will usually heal itself. Their nerve or spinal cord injury is more serious, and only occurs in 1 out of 5,000 patients. Injuries to nearby anatomical structures are rare. Since irrigation is used during the entire case, abnor- mal bleeding is all but nonexistent. R E C O V E R Y As with any surgery, recovery is one of the biggest concerns for the patient. In a traditional open spinal surgery, it takes approximately three to six months before you can begin to assess the impact of the surgery. In endo- scopic spinal surgery, the recovery time is two to three weeks, and an assessment can be performed much sooner. A B O U T T H E A U T H O R Amanda Dowell, CST, graduated cum laude from her surgical technology program in February 2014 and has been employed with Synergy Spine and Surgery Center in Seneca, South Carolina, since April 2014. Amanda lives in Pickens, South Carolina, with her husband, Daniel, and their 10-year-old son, Bo. A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S The author appreciates the support and expertise provided by Ludy Bris- lane, RN; and Dr Marion R McMillan. R E F E R E N C E S 1. Jeffords, P. (nd). Understanding the Risks of Spine Surgery. Resurgeons Spine Center. Retrieved November 17, 2014. http://www.resurgensspine.com/jeffords/understanding-spine-surgery- risks.php 2. Ma, CB. (2013). Spinal Fusion. Medline Plus. Retrieved November 17, 2014. http://www.nlm. nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002968.htm 3. McMillan, DM. (2012). Synergy Spine & Surgery Center. Retrieved November 8, 2014. http:// synergyspinecenter.com/endoscopicspinalsurgery.php 4. McMillan, DM (nd). Spinal Stenosis. (DS Miller, Interviewer.) 5. MD, MM. (2011). Spinal Stenosis Interview. Synergy Spine Center. Retrieved November 22, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/v/BZFTvdNknPo%26fs= 0%26rel=0%26autoplay=0%26loop =0%26egm=0%26border=0%26color1=0x2b405b%26color2=0x6b8ab6%26hd=1%26showse arch=0%26showinfo=0%26iv_load_policy=3%26cc_load_policy=0%26disablekb=0 6. Richard Fessler, KK. (2012). Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Treated UsingMinimally InvasiveMicro- surgical Techniques. Spine Universe. Retrieved November 15, 2014. http://www.spineuni- verse.com/conditions/spinal-stenosis/lumbar-spinal-stenosis-treated-using-minimally 7. Sherman, J. (2000). Postoperative Care for Spinal Fusion Surgery. Spine-health. Retrieved November 17, 2014. http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/spinal-fusion/postoperative- care-spinal-fusion-surgery 8. What Is Spinal Stenosis? (2009). National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Retrieved November 16, 2014. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Spinal_Ste- nosis/spinal_stenosis_ff.asp#b C E E X A M Earn CE Credits at Home You wi l l be awarded cont inuing educa- tion (CE) credits toward your recertifica- t ion af ter reading the des ignated ar t i- cle and completing the test with a score of 70% or better. If you do not pass the test, it will be returned along with your payment. Send the original answer sheet from the journal and make a copy for your records. If possible use a credit card (debit or credit) for payment. It is a faster option for processing of credits and offers more flexibility for correct payment. When submitting multiple tests, you do not need to submit a separate check for each journal test. You may submit multiple journal tests with one check or money order. Members this test is also available online at www.ast.org. No stamps or checks and it posts to your record automatically! Members: $6 per credit (per credit not per test) Nonmembers: $10 per credit (per credit not per test plus the $400 nonmember fee per submission) After your credits are processed, AST will send you a letter acknowledging the number of credits that were accepted. Members can also check your CE credit status online with your login information at www.ast.org. 3 WAYS TO SUBMIT YOUR CE CREDITS Mail to: AST, Member Services, 6 West Dry Creek Circle Ste 200, Littleton, CO 80120-8031 Fax CE credits to: 303-694-9169 E-mail scanned CE credits in PDF format to: [email protected] For questions please contact Member Services - [email protected] or 800-637-7433, option 3. Business hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00a.m. - 4:30 p.m., MT