Should I avoid lumbar fusion?

Whether caused by adjacent segment disease, spinal muscle injuries, hardware malfunction, or graft site pain, pain after spinal fusion can be debilitating. With these risks in mind, it's generally recommended to avoid spinal fusion whenever possible and opt for safer options.

Why you shouldn't get a spinal fusion?

Spinal Instability and your pain issues

We don't like to recommend spinal fusion because it does not, in many cases, correct the underlying problems of lumbar spinal instability as many people would think it would. In fact, spinal fusion surgery may increase spinal instability and degeneration.

When Is spinal fusion not recommended?

The biggest risk for spine fusion procedure is continued pain, meaning that the surgery did not substantially reduce or eliminate the patient's pain. The number one reason this occurs is that the fused disc was improperly identified as the cause of the patient's pain, so fusing the disc was unnecessary and irrelevant.

Can spinal fusion make you worse?

And gradually over time, just like they're healing a broken bone, they become fused. There is a small percentage of people that simply do not complete this healing process for a variety of reasons, and this can cause them to feel worse many months, or even years, after their previous surgery.

Are spinal fusions worth it?

Spinal fusion often works no better than nonsurgical treatments for back pain with a cause that's not clear. Even when spinal fusion relieves symptoms, it doesn't prevent future back pain. Arthritis causes much of back pain. Surgery doesn't cure arthritis.

Why Avoid Back Surgery at all Costs-Try this instead. Avoid Back Fusions.

Is there an alternative to spinal fusion?

Cervical Disc Replacement (CDR), especially in the cervical spine, is an excellent alternative to a fusion. Like a fusion, artificial disc replacement alleviates nerve pressure from disc degeneration or herniation.

What are the cons of spinal fusion?

What can I do instead of back surgery?

Can spinal fusion cause problems later in life?

Spinal fusion can cause problems later in life, namely hardware failure, adjacent segment disease (ASD), or spinal muscle injuries. All of these problems can lead to new or reoccurring back pain and neurological symptoms.

Can you live a normal life after spinal fusion?

Even people requiring bigger surgeries like spinal fusion are 90% likely to return to work and stay at work long term. While most people recover from back pain through exercise and healthy lifestyles, those who require surgery can expect to return to work and "get their life back" too.

Who is not a good candidate for spinal fusion?

You may not be a good candidate if: You have been having back or neck pain or symptoms for less than six months. Your spine condition affects discs or vertebrae at multiple levels of your spine. Treating multilevel disease with spinal fusion can result in losing too much spine flexibility.

Can you become paralyzed from spinal fusion surgery?

Although paralysis is one of the least likely complications to occur, as infections, blood clots and anesthesia complications are more common, spinal surgery can lead to paralysis.

Does spinal fusion reduce life expectancy?

The mean survival time was higher in patients who underwent fusion surgery (95.86 months [89.8–101.92]) compared to laminectomy (79.17 months [71.82–86.52]) (p = 0.03).

Can spinal fusion be avoided?

While you likely won't be able to avoid spinal fusion surgery forever, you may be able to effectively put it off by changing your behavior and utilizing certain tips and tricks that can help you build up strength in your back and keep that associated pain at bay.

Does spinal fusion weaken the spine?

Complications and Downsides to Spinal Fusion

Immobilization of the spine in this manner exerts pressure on the bones above and below the fused segment, introducing new issues. Over time, this stress on the vertebrae will increase spinal degeneration, leading to the need for corrective surgery.

Which is better laminectomy or fusion?

In general, lumbar laminectomy alone has been shown to be better for patients with lumbar stenosis in the absence of instability. Studies have shown that lumbar decompression and fusion has been better in patients with spondylolisthesis.

Are there any permanent restrictions after spinal fusion?

The spinal fusion procedure permanently fuses the targeted vertebrae of the spine. This process also permanently eliminates all motion at the affected segment. So, patients do experience permanent restrictions on their mobility, such as an inability to twist, bend, and lift heavy objects.

Is spinal fusion a permanent disability?

Those who get spinal fusion surgery do see permanent restrictions due to the fact that the surgery fuses the targeted vertebrae of the spine.

What is the success rate of lumbar spinal fusion?

For an MIS transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, success rates range from 60 to 70%, with an 80% satisfaction rate for patients. For an MIS posterior lumbar interbody fusion procedure, patients experienced a 90 to 95% successful fusion rate.

How many back surgeries are unnecessary?

Spinal surgeries are risky procedures, and research suggests that up to 90 percent of them are unnecessary.

Do you ever fully recover from back surgery?

On average, back surgery recovery takes 12 weeks. However, it can take up to six months for your back to fully heal, depending on the correction.

When is it time to get back surgery?

Some signs that indicate it's time to consider spine surgery can include: Pain that is persistent and progressive. If the pain caused by a back condition lingers beyond a few months and/or appears to be getting progressively worse. Numbness, tingling, weakness.

Is your back stronger after spinal fusion?

CONCLUSIONS After PLIF, strength in back muscles decreased until 3 months postoperatively but significantly increased after that period. The patients who regularly underwent postoperative LSE had significantly improved back strength, less pain, and less functional disability at 12 months postoperatively.

Which is better spinal fusion or disc replacement?

Artificial disc replacement offers some advantages over spinal fusion. The biggest advantage is that disc replacement preserves motion and mobility in the spine while fusion does not. This is especially important for people who want to live active and not just pain-free lives.

What are the long term effects of a spinal fusion?

Spinal fusion is a major surgery where one or more of the spinal bones are fused together using screws, bolts, and plates. The long-term side effects of spinal fusion involve non-union, hardware failure, Adjacent Segment Disease, and spinal muscle injury. All can require additional surgery.