Infection is a risk with any surgery (or even a simple kitchen knife cut for that matter). The chance of infection drops with the care of the surgeon and the attention of the hospital staff. Larger hospitals with more complex patients tend to have more infection risks. (You might want to check the hospital infection rate prior to agreeing to surgery). Curing the infection may be as simple as antibiotics or as complex as further surgery.
About the Author: Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.