Preparing for surgery of any kind should involve learning as much as the procedure and recovery as possible. Surgical options for lumbar spine surgery are making some phenomenal advances. Patients that would have had a spinal fusion several years ago can now choose to have an artificial disc implanted to replace their worn out disc.
Look for spinal surgeon are experienced with fusion procedures. As with any surgery, you want to choose a surgeon with an excellent reputation. Many people get excellent results from spinal fusion. Results vary and are unpredictable. Even if the surgery is performed with expert techniques and the patient follows all instructions, fusion does not always eliminate all of the pain. There are myriad reasons the surgery may not be successful in significantly reducing patients’ pain, but most surgeons think it is because fusion restricts normal spinal movement.
Doctors are always looking for new medical technologies and procedures to improve results for their patients. In the USA, disc replacement has been available for about 8 years. European doctors are using this relatively new technique for cervical and lumbar regions of the spine. Here many doctors have limited their use to applications to include the lower lumbar regions. New disc types and models are being tested for FDA approval. When they are approved, these new discs will allow more patients to get relief from their lower back pain.
Using an artificial disc to replace a worn or damaged disk allows the spine to move more naturally than fusion techniques. Patients are better candidates if they are treated before extensive damage has occurred in the surrounding area. The outlook is very positive.
Although relief with disc replacement is promising, not every back pain sufferer is a good candidate. Patients that are obese, have more than two discs with damage or damage outside the lumbar region, and patients that have structural deformities, like scoliosis, are typical not good candidates for disc replacement.
If you are facing back surgery to relieve lower back pain, talk to your surgeon about the pros and cons for disc replacement and spinal fusion procedures before you make up your mind.
Tags: lower back pain, spinal surgeon