Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery In West Orange, NJ

Traditional treatments, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, epidural steroid injections, and physical therapy, may not relieve your back pain or help you regain the mobility you once had. Therefore, your doctor may recommend minimally-invasive surgery. For example, NJ Spine & Ortho surgeons can do a couple of different spine surgeries to repair damage, relieve the pressure off nerves and the spinal cord, and stabilize the spine. 

Lumbar spinal fusion surgeries in West Orange can repair a number of different conditions and make sure you get back on your feet in no time. Your orthopedic surgeon may recommend a lumbar spinal fusion procedure in addition to repairing a herniated disc. Knowing what lumbar spinal fusion surgery is and how this minimally-invasive procedure can help relieve your symptoms may give you hope for a better quality of life. 

What Is a West Orange Lumbar Spinal Fusion Procedure?

This surgery requires the orthopedic surgeon to fuse two or more vertebrae bones in the lower back so that they heal into a single, solid bone. This procedure may be necessary when the act of moving causes pain. The idea is to eliminate the movement of the vertebrae and stabilize the portion of the spine causing problems so that it won’t cause any more pain.

For example, if a portion of the lumbar spine is arthritic due to disease or normal wear-and-tear, fusing the arthritic vertebrae will keep them from moving against each other and eliminate pain. Although fusing the bones may take away spinal flexibility, it should not impact your range of motion because the fusion is performed on small segments of the spine. As a result, you probably won’t even notice a change.

When Should a Lumbar Spinal Fusion Procedure Be Considered?

Several conditions can benefit from lumbar spinal fusion alone or with other surgeries. Some examples of conditions that may require spinal fusion surgery are:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Spondylolisthesis
• Fractured bones from traumatic impact
• Scoliosis

Degenerative disc disease generates pain from herniated or bulging discs. This disease can occur with age as the usual wear-and-tear of motion can deteriorate discs and cause osteoarthritis. Spinal fusion can stabilize the area with profound degenerative disc disease, limiting movement and further deterioration.

Spondylolisthesis is when one vertebra bone slips onto another because of arthritis or abnormal wear on the cartilage and bones of the spine. Spinal fusion will keep the vertebrae in place. In addition, scoliosis can be stopped with a spinal fusion. The curved vertebrae in the spine’s abnormal segment are fused to prevent growth and keep the curve from worsening. 

Performing a Lumbar Spinal Fusion Procedure in West Orange

The surgeon will access the spine through either the back of the body, the front of the body, or both depending on the type of stability you need on your spine. Once the surgeon creates enough space to access the problem area, they will insert an endoscope with an attached HD camera and special surgical instruments. 

If the surgeon has accessed the spine through the back of the body, the surgeon will insert screws and rods to hold the vertebrae in place. Next, the top bone layer will be removed so bone grafting material can be applied for bone growth, resulting in one fused vertebrae.

When accessing the spine through the front of the body, the surgeon will place a specially designed cage to hold the bone grafting material in place on the vertebrae that are to be fused. Any hardware, such as the screws, rods, or cages, is inserted with the intent of permanently being there. However, if they cause discomfort or pain at some point after the surgery, the surgeon can remove them through another minimally invasive surgery.

West Orange Lumbar Spinal Fusion Combined With Other Spine Surgeries

A discectomy is performed when herniated discs need to be repaired. The surgeon will remove a part or all of the portion of the disc that is putting pressure on the nerves or spinal cord. However, to keep the disc from becoming a problem in the future or to stabilize an empty disc space, the surgeon will perform a spinal fusion to limit movement in the problem area.

Due to arthritis, the lamina, or bony arches on the spine, can put pressure on the nerves or spinal cord, causing pain. A laminectomy makes space for the aggravated nerves inside the spinal canal by removing part or all of the lamina, bone spurs, and overgrown ligaments that are putting pressure on spinal nerves. Once the lamina and ligaments are removed, a spinal fusion can be performed to stabilize that portion of the spine.

Contact Our Specialists at NJ Spine & Orthopedic Today

When you can’t get relief from back pain, no matter what you try, you can’t enjoy the activities you once did. The orthopedic surgeons at NJ Spine & Orthopedic can help when other treatment options aren’t working to relieve your back pain symptoms. 

The NJ Spine & Orthopedic surgeons specialize in minimally-invasive West Orange lumbar spinal fusion procedures. If you’ve tried everything to relieve your back pain and nothing works, call us and our compassionate Concierge Team at (866) 553-0612 or complete our contact form to consult with our orthopedic surgeons.