Coccygectomy

When conservative treatments no longer provide relief for your tailbone pain, surgical treatment may be the best solution.

Surgical Procedure

• The surgeon makes a tiny incision over the sacrum.
• An imaging device called a fluoroscope is used to view the affected area during surgery.
• The surgeon uses specially designed tools to dissect and remove the coccyx from the sacrum.
• Surgery takes only about an hour.
• Because tissues and muscles are only moved and not cut, trauma, pain and bleeding is considerably reduced.

Recovery After Coccygectomy

Recovery is generally dependent on the overall health and age of an individual. However, it may take one to three months for a patient to experience relief from their symptoms after surgery.

During this period, a patient should generally limit any activities that can aggravate pain. Many patients who come to NJ Spine & Orthopedic are usually back on their feet within hours and can return to work within a few days.

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The coccyx is a small, triangular, tail-like bone near the anus comprising three to five smaller bones. A direct impact on the coccyx can damage or break the tailbone. Such an injury commonly happens during contact sports or in a physical fight. A coccyx injury can also occur due to a car collision or a slip-and-fall accident.

In some cases, when a woman gives birth, her coccyx may break. A person may also start experiencing coccyx pain without knowing why, which could necessitate the removal of some or all of their tailbones. A coccygectomy is performed to alleviate symptoms like pain and tenderness. You may be a candidate for a coccygectomy if you have persistent pain in your coccyx area due to any of the following reasons:

• The discomfort is because of congenital defects
• You have fractures caused by dislocations and high-impact trauma
• The tailbone has been damaged as a result of aging or a degenerative disease
• An infection has occurred or spread throughout the sacral and coccyx
• A rare type of tumor called sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) (commonly diagnosed in newborns) is growing in the tailbone area

Before considering a coccygectomy, patients with tailbone issues are encouraged to try non-surgical approaches. Surgical interventions are considered if the pain doesn’t resolve in a few months.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A COCCYGECTOMY?

A medical history and a physical exam may help determine the cause of a coccyx injury. To examine the entire spine, a neurologic exam may be done. A rectal exam may also be performed to determine whether there is a dislocation or coccyx fracture and if direct pressure on the tailbone induces pain. While an X-ray may not always reveal specific injuries, it may be used to rule out a fracture or dislocation.

Whenever non-surgical treatment does not relieve persistent pain, a coccygectomy is considered. Surgeons take different approaches to the procedure depending on the patient’s diagnosis. Some opt to remove a portion of the coccyx, while others take out the entire tailbone. An orthopedic or spinal surgeon will perform a coccygectomy under general anesthesia. This procedure generally entails:

• A surgeon making a one to two-inch incision over the top of the coccyx, directly under the skin and subcutaneous fat tissue
• Dissecting what’s known as the periosteum (protective cartilage over the bone) from the bone and lifting it around the front
• Extracting the coccyx. If the surgeon suspects a tumor, it’s subjected to a biopsy

The surgical treatment takes about 30 minutes and can be done as an outpatient procedure. This operation has a lengthy recovery period and makes sitting challenging throughout the healing process. Nonetheless, patients typically experience relief from their symptoms three months to a year after surgery.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I QUALIFY FOR A COCCYGECTOMY?

If prolonged or permanent buttock and tailbone pain occurs, we are one of the few practices in the United States that specializes in the treatment of painful coccyx fractures. In fact, our surgeons have successfully treated and cured more painful coccyx problems than any other center in the country. We treat coccyx injuries every week at our facility. The outpatient tailbone surgery is simple and effective.

Patients no longer have to suffer with chronic tailbone pain. There is a safe, effective cure. The orthopedic treatment (and subsequent cure) is a coccygectomy. It is a safe outpatient surgery that our surgeons have used successfully time and time again. Once the tailbone is removed, 95% of our patients are pain free in 90 days or less.

Overall, NJ Spine & Ortho are #1 in the country with a 99% success rate for coccygectomy procedures used to reduce and eliminate tailbone pain.