Minimally Invasive Techniques: Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion in McKinney TX or LLIF is a minimally invasive procedure performed to treat disc problems in the lower spine. In Minimally invasive surgery McKinney like spinal fusion, the surgeon joins two or more vertebrae of the spine to stop painful motion and correct scoliosis. Research studies and clinical evidence show that LLIF has a 100% success rate in treating decompress pinched nerves. The surgery procedure involves making a small incision at the side of the abdomen to remove the disc. Then, the surgeon inserts the bone graft material to restore the height and relieve the problem of nerve pinching, and the two or more bones fuse into a single, solid bone during the process of healing after the surgery.

Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion In McKinney TX

In general, pain in the back and leg results from degenerative changes or injuries in the spine. To treat the pain, doctors usually recommend LLIF, a minimally invasive surgery McKinney that involves fusion that stabilizes the spine and stops painful motion. Sometimes, LLIF is called “direct lateral interbody fusion (DLIF)” or extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF).” However, both are the same techniques. During LLIF, the surgeon makes an incision at the side of the waist or abdomen to remove the damaged disk and fill the space between the vertebrae with a bone graft. Most often, the surgeons at the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas use high-quality and advanced spacer bone graft material, which fuses the vertebrae quickly. The bone graft material restores the height between the vertebrae and relieves spinal nerves pinching. The bone graft or spacer acts as a bridge between the two vertebrae. In some situations, the surgeons use screws or plates to strengthen the graft. They use the screws on the side or from the back. During the process of healing, new bone grows around space or graft material. Within 3-6 months, the graft will fuse the two bones into a single, solid piece of bone. The surgeons may choose to perform Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion in McKinney TX that involves multi-level fusion depending on the symptoms of the patient.

The Procedure Of Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion In McKinney TX

During LLIF, our surgeon will work with areas closed to the nerves on your spinal column. We use electromyography to monitor your nerves, which is essential to prevent nerve damage. LLIF takes about an hour, and we perform it under general anesthesia, which means you will fall asleep during the procedure. The steps of LLIF are:

Step 1:
The surgeon will position you on your side after you get anesthesia. Then, he will use X-rays to locate the disc that is causing the problem. Next, he will mark your skin using a marker above the disc.

Step 2:
The surgeon will make a small incision towards your back and then place his finger through the incision to protect the peritoneum, which contains abdominal organs. The surgeon does this when the instruments pass through the lateral spine.

Step 3:
The surgeon makes a second incision on your side to pass the instruments to remove the disc. Tubular dilators are instruments used by the surgeon, which he inserts through the muscles on the side of the vertebrae. Never monitoring and X-rays safely guides the tools to reach the appropriate position and away from the nerves.

Step 4:
After the surgeon places the tubular dilators, he then puts a tissue retractor over them. The purpose into stretch the smaller incision and provide instrument access to the intervertebral disc space. The surgeon removes the disc when it completely visible.

Step 5:
The surgeon places an implant into empty disc space. The implant contains bone graft material for the fusion. An X-ray image facilitates the surgeon to ensure the correct placement of the implant. The surgeon then closes the small incisions with a few stitches after removing the retractor. Benefits of Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion in McKinney TX LLIF differs from traditional surgical procedures because the surgeons at the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas access the space between the spinal discs from the side of the patient’s body. Instead of approaching the spine from the back or front, the surgeon reaches the spine from the side. Our surgeons do this to spare major back muscles, ligaments, and bones. Anyway, the benefits of LLIF include:

Less Surgery Time:
The surgeon completes LLIF surgery in one or two hours, which reduces the time you are in a surgical procedure under anesthesia.

Less Blood Loss:
Minimally invasive surgery results in reduced blood loss and less tissue disruption.

Less Pain:
Because our surgeon reaches the disc space from the side, LLIF does not disrupt sensitive bones, muscles, and ligaments in your back. You will walk the same day after the completion of the surgery.

Return to daily activities:
you can usually walk the day of surgery. However, the full recovery takes 2-3 months, depending on your condition. LLIF has a faster recovery time compared to traditional procedures, which has six months recovery period. If you have back pain and all conservative treatment options have been failed, you can contact MINSTX for the Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion in McKinney TX, which is an ideal back pain treatment.