Back surgery usually brings to mind heavy anesthesia, a breathing tube, and a long, groggy recovery in the ICU. But medical advancements are changing that narrative. Enter awake spine surgery —a technique where patients remain conscious, or at least lightly sedated, while a surgeon fixes a herniated disc or relieves spinal compression. Instead of putting you under general anesthesia, the surgical team uses advanced regional local anesthetics to numb just the targeted area of the back. You might...