...

Spine Surgery

Keyhole Spinal
Fusion Surgery

Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery

Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery

What is spinal fusion surgery?

  • This is a procedure where one or more spinal levels are fixed with screws and rods to permanently stop them from moving
  • It usually requires placing some fresh bone in the disc space and may require the insertion of a plastic or metal ‘cage’ for added stability
  • The bones on either side of the disc space knit together over a period of 6 months to 1 year
  • Here the fresh bone is like a slow setting concrete and the screws and rod are like the scaffolding that holds the concrete
Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery

What are the indications for spinal fusion surgery?

  • Spinal fusion is usually done when the spinal segment has excessive mobility which is called ‘instability’
  • Instability can be the cause of leg pain because the nerves between the bones can be pinched
  • Instability can also cause back pain by damaging the jelly between the bones
  • Spinal fusion surgery treats the above 2 issues by abolishing the movement at the spinal level
  • Other indications for spinal fusion or stabilization would be when there is a fracture of the spine or there is a tumour of the spine
Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery
Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery

How is Spinal fusion surgery done?

  • This involves the exposure of the relevant bony parts by stripping the muscle covering them
  • Some of the bone is then removed to allow access to the disc in between the bones
  • The disc is then removed as much as possible
  • The space left behind is filled with fresh bone. Sometimes a plastic or titanium cage is also placed inside the disc space
  • 2 screws are placed in each bone, 1 on each side of the midline
  • These screws are then connected with rods which are tightened up so the spinal level is held rigidly
Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery

What is ‘Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery’?

  • Spinal fusion can be done through smaller incisions that do not require the muscles to be completely stripped off the bone
  • The screws and rods can be placed under Xray control or with computer aided navigation
  • The removal of the disc and the placement of the cage is under microscope visualization
Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery

What are the advantages of ‘Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery’?

  • Because of minimal muscle stripping, there is less bleeding and less pain after the surgery
  • Less pain medication is usually required
  • The return to function is quicker and the hospital stay is shorter
  • There is less damage to the structures adjacent to the level that is being operated on
Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery

Are there any disadvantages to ‘Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery’?

  • It usually requires that your surgeon be trained in these techniques
  • The costs can be higher due to the use of specialized instruments
  • The surgery may take longer
  • Sometime, we may need to convert to normal open surgery for reasons of safety and if keyhole surgery is insufficient

Will my spine feel stiff after fusion surgery?

  • While spinal fusion takes away movement at the level/s that are fused, the other levels are usually able to make up for this
  • Because fusion surgery can improve your pain, your back movement may actually be better after fusion surgery
  •  

Do the screws need to be removed after some time?

  • Usually there is no need to remove any of the screws after fusion surgery
  • These screws may not trigger metal detectors at the airports, but you will still be provided with an official card to explain this if it happens

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT

Keyhole Spinal Fusion Surgery

Seraphinite AcceleratorOptimized by Seraphinite Accelerator
Turns on site high speed to be attractive for people and search engines.