Hundreds face debilitating nerve problems as surgery capacity falls short

Hundreds of people in Iceland may need surgery for conditions causing severe pain and impaired mobility, but the available capacity falls short of demand, neurosurgeon Hulda Brá Magnadóttir told mbl.is.

Magnadóttir, who works in the United States and travels to Iceland to perform the procedures, estimates that about 30 operations are needed each month. A contract for procedures outside Landspítali, Iceland’s national university hospital, provides for about 10, she said. She described the situation as unacceptable.

Some patients can barely walk, while others have left the workforce because of their condition. Magnadóttir believes some of them could return to work if they received appropriate treatment. She raised concerns about the patient group in an opinion article in Morgunblaðið the previous day.

The patients are not dealing with ordinary back pain, she said. Pressure on nerves in the back can cause severe pain, limited mobility and pain radiating down the leg. Some people can no longer work, travel or take part in physical activities they once enjoyed; others struggle to walk or drag a foot behind them.

Many patients have had symptoms for months and have already tried physiotherapy or other treatment by the time they see her. Surgery is not suitable for everyone, Magnadóttir said, and many people recover without it. But for patients with persistent symptoms who are considered suitable candidates, an operation can make a major difference.

Delays can affect the chances of recovery. If a nerve remains compressed for years, it may be damaged, making a full recovery less likely even after the pressure is relieved.

Magnadóttir described older patients who had lost mobility and some of their independence, including women who could no longer go for walks or attend the theatre with their grandchildren. She said some patients who had been unable to walk properly for a year later managed to walk four kilometres.

Before Iceland Health Insurance began contributing to the cost of the procedures, patients had to pay for them themselves.