Lumbar Fusion Specialist
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Kellogg Brain and Spine
Spinal Disorders & Neurosurgeon located in Portland, OR & Wilsonville, OR
Chronic back pain may affect your mobility and quality of life. Lumbar fusion is a surgical procedure that helps many people get relief from their back pain. Board-certified neurosurgeon Jordi X. Kellogg, MD, and the team at Kellogg Brain and Spine in Portland and Wilsonville, Oregon, perform many types of lumbar fusion procedures. To discuss surgical options for your back pain, call the office nearest you or schedule an appointment online today.
Lumbar Fusion Q & A
What is lumbar fusion?
Lumbar fusion, or spinal fusion, is a type of spine surgery that fuses two or more of the vertebrae in your lumbar spine to prevent motion between the bones.
To perform a lumbar fusion, the surgeons at Kellogg Brain and Spine use techniques that encourage the bones to heal together to form a single, solid bone.
What conditions benefit from lumbar fusion?
The team at Kellogg Brain and Spine performs lumbar fusion to alleviate chronic back pain. Conditions that may benefit from the surgical procedure include:
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spinal stenosis
- Herniated disc
- Spondylolisthesis
- Lumbar radiculopathy
- Vertebral fractures
- Spinal deformities
The team only performs spine surgery when they can pinpoint the exact reason for your pain. They conduct comprehensive evaluations and advanced diagnostic imaging to determine the root cause of your problem.
What are the lumbar fusion procedures?
The experts at Kellogg Brain and Spine use many techniques and approaches to perform a lumbar fusion. Some of the procedure options include:
Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)
ALIF is the most common approach. During the procedure, your surgeon uses an anterior approach (front of the body) to access your spine and then removes the intervertebral disc and replaces it with a bone spacer.
Your surgeon then attaches a bone graft or bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) to connect the affected discs and places additional devices (plates, screws, pins) to ensure spinal stability.
Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF)
During PLIF, your surgeon uses a posterior approach (from the back) to perform the spinal fusion. Your surgeon avoids interfering with many organs and blood vessels when using a posterior approach and gains access to the surgical site a lot faster.
Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF)
During a TLIF, your surgeon approaches your spine from the side. Your surgeon may perform a TLIF if they need to place two bone grafts at once.
Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (XLIF)
During XLIF, your surgeon performs the procedure from the side of the body rather than the back or abdomen. XLIF causes minimal tissue damage and minimal risk and results in a faster recovery.
However, the surgeons only perform XLIF on vertebrae accessible from the side and can only treat two levels of the spine at a time.
You may need to spend a few nights in the hospital after you lumbar fusion, and a full recovery from surgery may take months.
Don’t let your chronic lower back pain dictate your life. Call Kellogg Brain and Spine or schedule a consultation online today to discuss your surgical options.
