Spinal Procedures
ANTERIOR CERVICAL DISCECTOMY AND FUSION (ACDF)
The goal of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion is to lessen pain by limiting painful motion between vertebrae. A metal plate and screws are commonly used along the front of the cervical spine. They provide stability and help increase the rate of fusion. Bone graft is used to fill in the space left after the disc is removed. It is primarily used to stimulate bone healing and help the vertebrae to fuse together into a solid bone. A bone graft can be obtained from the patient’s hip. This type of graft is called an autograft. Harvesting a bone graft requires an additional incision along the hip and lengthens surgical time. Although autografts have been used with good results, some people may experience pain at the hip for some time. One alternative to harvesting a bone graft is an allograft, which is cadaver bone. An allograft is typically acquired through a bone bank. The use of allograft has grown because it avoids the risk of pain at the donor site. There are risks and benefits for both types of bone grafts, which your surgeon will discuss with you.
ARTHRODESIS
Arthrodesis is the artificial induction of joint ossification between two bones via surgery. This is done to relieve intractable pain in a joint which cannot be managed by pain medication, splints, or other normally-indicated treatments. The typical causes of such pain are fractures which disrupt the joint, and arthritis. It is most commonly performed on joints in the spine, hand, ankle and foot. Historically, knee and hip arthrodeses were also performed as pain relieving procedures, however with the great successes achieved in hip and knee arthroplasty, arthrodesis of these large joints has fallen out of favor as a primary procedure, and now are only used as procedures of last-resort in some failed joint replacements.
CERVICAL DISC REPLACEMENT
The space between vertebrae can become too narrow and part of the vertebrae or cervical disk may press on the spinal cord or spinal nerves, causing pain, numbness, or weakness. Cervical disk replacement is a surgical procedure that replaces a diseased cervical disk with an artificial disk. Cervical disk replacement may be recommended when symptoms do not respond to nonsurgical types of treatment.
CYST, MASS OR TUMOR REMOVAL
A cyst is a closed sac having a distinct membrane and division on the nearby tissue. It may contain air, fluids, or semi-solid material. Once formed, a cyst could go away on its own or may have to be removed through surgery. A tumor is the name for a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer. A tumor can be benign, pre-malignant or malignant, whereas cancer is by definition malignant. After testing to determine whether the tumor is malignant of benign, the surgeon will suggest treatment options, monitor the tumor to see if it disappears on its own or surgically remove the tumor.
EXTREME LATERAL INTERBODY FUSION
Extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF) is a surgical procedure in which the front part of the lumbar spine is fused from the side. The surgeon makes an incision in the side between the lower ribs and the pelvis. Instruments pass through muscles and to the disc. Disc material is removed and a fusion graft is placed into the disc space. The graft is usually bone or a cage combined with bone.
FRACTURE REPAIR
A plaster or fiberglass cast is the most common type of fracture treatment, because most broken bones can heal successfully once they have been repositioned and a cast has been applied to keep the broken ends in proper position while they heal.
KYPHOPLASTY
Kyphoplasty is a medical procedure that attempts to stop the pain caused by a bone fracture and attempts to restore the height and angle of Kyphosis of a fractured vertebra (of certain types), followed by its stabilization using injected bone filler material. Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty represent the two procedures that percutaneously attempt to augment the strength of fracture or weakened spine bones (Vertebra).
LUMBAR DISCECTOMY
A discectomy is a surgical procedure in which the herniated portion of an intervertebral disc, which is causing pain by bulging into the spinal cord or radiating nerves, is removed. A laminectomy is often involved to permit access to the intervertebral disc in a traditional discectomy. This can allow the physician better access. The goal of this procedure is to decrease pain and to allow for better movement and function.
LUMBAR DISK REPLACEMENT
Artificial disk replacement is a newer surgical procedure for relieving low back pain. Similar to hip or knee joint replacements, a disk replacement substitutes a mechanical device for an intervertebral disk in the spine. The device is meant to restore motion to the spine by replacing the worn, degenerated disk. Artificial disk replacement initially gained FDA approval for use in the U.S. in 2004.
LUMBAR SPINAL FUSION
Spinal fusion is a surgical technique used to combine two or more vertebrae. Supplementary bone tissue (either autograft or allograft) is used in conjunction with the body’s natural osteoblastic processes. This procedure is used primarily to eliminate the pain caused by abnormal motion of the vertebrae by immobilizing the vertebrae themselves.
MINIMALLY INVASIVE SPINE SURGERY
Technological advances have allowed more back and neck conditions to be treated with a minimally invasive surgical technique. Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS), does not involve a long incision, it avoids significant damage to the muscles surrounding the spine. In most cases, this results in less pain after surgery and a faster recovery.
SI JOINT FUSION
Clinical literature shows that up to 25% of all low back pain can be attributed to the Sacroiliac (SI) joint. SI joint fusion is a minimally invasive surgical option that uses a system to insert implants designed to stabilize and fuse the heavily loaded SI joint. Normally three implants will be used, depending on your size. The procedure takes about an hour.
SPINE REGENRATIVE CELLULAR THERAPY
Spine Regenerative Cellular Therapy can help with some common spinal problems, including Stenosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, Herniated Disc, damaged joints, and Osteoporosis. During the natural course of one’s life, stem cells are recruited to replace cells lost over time and facilitate repair due to injury. During a surgical procedure, stem cells are obtained through a process called aspiration. The aspirate is derived from the patient’s iliac crest (pelvis), then concentrated and delivered to the site of injury to amplify the natural mechanism for healing.
TRAUMATIC INJURY REPAIR
Injury or bodily injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force, which may be physical or chemical, and either by accident or intentional. Personal Injury also refers to damage caused to the reputation of another rather than physical harm to the body.