Our medical team is prepared to discuss the benefits of lumbar fusions with any patients in need. We’ll work with you to assess your pain. Once we understand why your lumbar vertebrae may not be doing their job, we can recommend treatment plans, including lumbar fusions and the requisite physical therapy.
Discussing Lumbar Fusions With a Medical Professional
If you’re contending with lower back pain, you might be quick to dismiss it as a temporary quirk. The longer your back pain persists, the more likely it is that there’s something amiss with your lumbar vertebrae.
Your lumbar vertebrae can pinch nerves and otherwise cause you to endure a significant amount of daily pain. At-home treatments and over-the-counter pills can temporarily relieve that pain. However, it’s best to discuss the extent of your discomfort with a medical professional.
Medical professionals with experience treating back pain can help you determine whether or not a lumbar fusion may be right for you. You can schedule a consultation with our team members to determine why your pain levels are so high. In turn, you can further discuss what treatments after a fusion may make your day-to-day life more comfortable.
When to Seek Our Lumbar Fusions
Fusing your lumbar vertebrae allows orthopedic spine surgeons to stabilize your spine after a vertebra or a disc shows signs of weakness. More specifically, lumbar fusion treatments come in handy when contending with a spinal disease, tumor, or infection.
You can even request lumbar fusions in the face of debilitating accidents. These fusions may not restore your lost mobility, if applicable. However, they can reduce the amount of pain you have in your spine.
That said, it’s in your best interest to discuss various treatment options with an orthopedic spine surgeon. Lumbar fusion surgeries may not be overly invasive, but they can still require a long recovery. Our team will work to suit your treatment to your lifestyle while also targeting the source of your pain.
The Benefits of Lumbar Fusion
Lumbar fusion increases the stability of a compromised spinal cord with minimal invasive proceedings. While the recovery time affiliated with the procedure can be lengthy, it reduces the amount of pain the patient experiences.
This procedure can also be used to correct mild spinal deformities. While other treatments better address scoliosis and similar conditions, you can discuss the efficiency of this treatment with the team undertaking your procedure.
This treatment also has a high rate of success when it comes to treating your long-term pain. While it may not result in a pain-free life, you should be able to enjoy more comfortable mobility on a day-to-day basis.
The Lumbar Fusion Process
Medical professionals need to access your spinal column to fuse your lumbar vertebrae together. This process requires you to undergo general anesthesia before our team:
- Completes an incision on your side
- Treats any damage done to your vertebrae
- Binds your vertebrae together with a Zplate or similar tool
- Closes your incision
Zplates are metal plates designed to hold your vertebrae together indefinitely. The pressure from the Zplate should eventually draw your vertebrae to fuse together over time. After your surgery, you can expect to schedule several check-ups at which our team will ensure that your Zplate is doing its job.
Our Team Prepares You For a Long Recovery
It takes a considerable amount of time to recover from lumbar fusion surgery. You should expect to remain in the hospital for at least three days after your treatment. Afterward, your ability to move must remain limited if you want your vertebrae to fuse properly.
With that in mind, our team works to prepare you for a long recovery. This means anticipating physical therapy appointments meant to restore your mobility. It also means ensuring you have the means at home to tend to your day-to-day needs.
You can discuss what to expect from your lumbar fusion recovery long before you commit to this treatment. That way, you can decide on your desired treatment with the appropriate information.
Learn More About Your Pain Relief Options
Contending with long-term lumbar pain isn’t good for your overall health. That’s why the team with Orthopedic & Laser Spine Surgery wants to give you every tool you need to combat that pain. During an initial health consultation, we can discuss what you want out of your spinal treatment and how best to move you toward that goal.
If you want to discuss lumbar fusions with experienced professionals, you can contact our medical team. Schedule an appointment through our contact form or by calling (866) 646-5090.