Spinal Fusion

Problems affecting the spine are a common occurrence in majority of the people. Surgery is often resorted to when other conventional measures have failed.

Spinal fusion is the surgery performed to rectify the problems of the vertebrae of the spine. During spinal fusion the problems pertaining to the vertebrae are corrected by fusing the vertebrae with bone grafts and metal screws etc.
Spinal fusion is often performed to alleviate the problems of the vertebrae of the spine caused by injuries, bulging or slipping of the disc, infections, and tumors or due to uncharacteristic curvatures seen in the spine.

The technique involved in spinal fusion is bone grafting followed by immobilization. In bone grafting minor bone pieces are used to fill up the space and to promote fusion between the spinal vertebrae. Bone is widely used to enhance fusion between the spinal vertebrae. At times lager pieces are used to provide support to the spine. The bone used for the purpose may be from the individual itself or from a donor. The bone provided by the patient itself is known as autogenous bone and that which comes from the donor is known as allograft bone. Autogenous bone facilitates fusion better when compared to allograft bone. But the difficulty in using autogenous bone is that it requires additional surgery for removing the bone from the hip of the patient, while allograft bone is easily obtainable at bone banks. Researches are being conducted to develop cost-effective alternatives to substitute autogenous bone grafting method.

Once the grafting is performed the vertebral bones are kept immobile for enabling fusion. The bones are immobilized with the help of metal rods, screws and also exterior bracing and casting. Some patients are advised both types of immobilization to enhance recovery in certain cases.
When the conventional treatment measures fail to alleviate the back pain then it is usual for the medical practitioner to advice surgery depending on the health of the patient. An orthopedic surgeon will make a thorough evaluation of the patient and will then determine whether a lower back surgery is advisable or not. Low back surgery can alleviate the pressure in the spine or stabilize it as the case may be.

Based on the medical history of the patient the surgeon will conduct physical examinations and thorough tests including diagnosis tests to reach a conclusion. After this stage the medical practitioner will conduct discussions with the patient to explain to him the varied procedures involved.
During pre-operational preparations the patient will have to undergo a thorough check up and may have to abide from using certain drugs/ medications that may prove harmful for the patient.
.Before the operation the patient is administered either general anesthesia or local anesthesia as determined by the surgeon based on the health of the patient. The spinal fusion is usually done within 3 hours depending on the intensity and complexity of the problem. The surgeon will first strive to remove a section of bone and muscle ligaments through a minor incision. After that he will take out the affected disc part to de pressurize the nerve ends. Fusion is done alongside if instability is also present.

After the surgery the patient will have to go through the post operational routine prescribed by the medical practitioner. Even though complications after the surgery are not common, cases have been reported about complications due to heart attacks, clots, infections and recurrent occurrence.