Am I a Candidate for Spine Fusion?

Finding relief is challenging and frustrating if you or someone you know suffers from neck or back pain. The pain keeps you from doing daily routines of going to work or school or doing chores around the house. But that’s not all.

Your quality of life takes a toll. While your family is out enjoying a day at the beach or watching your grandkids play sports, you’re in the house in pain. But it doesn’t have to be that way, according to fellowship-trained minimally invasive spine surgeon Neil Bhamb, MD. In this blog, Dr. Bhamb shares his thoughts on spine fusion and how this procedure has helped his patients return to fuller, more productive lives.

What is spine fusion?

Spine fusion, also called spinal fusion, is a surgical procedure that addresses various conditions, such as herniated discs, spondylolisthesis, and many lower back and neck problems, including scoliosis, spine instability, and degenerative disc disease.

During spine fusion, your surgeon removes the damaged disc material and other excess tissues and performs a bone graft to fuse two or more vertebrae. Over time, the bone graft stimulates new bone, resulting in the vertebrae’s permanent fusion.

This fusing process does two essential things – relieves pain by preventing movement and nerve compression, and as a result, the patient loses the range of motion in the linked part of the spine.

At our practice, whenever possible, Dr. Bhamb performs minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) and endoscopic spine surgery (ESS), which results in less trauma to the body than traditional open surgery. With spine fusion, this less invasive approach to spine surgery increases the chance of preserving more range of motion. 

Other benefits include less post-surgery discomfort, a reduced risk of surgical complications, and quicker recovery times.

Reducing pain and restoring function

The overarching goal of spine fusion is to reduce pain and restore as much function as possible. Like any surgical procedure, spine fusion isn’t right for everyone who suffers from back or neck pain. Dr. Bhamb creates a final surgical plan after an examination and medication evaluation, considering the patient’s overall health, age, weight, and the reason for surgery.

The ideal candidate for spine fusion typically meets the following criteria:

Chronic pain in the back or neck

Spine surgery, such as spine fusion, is not for patients with occasional back or neck pain or those who suffer from ongoing back or neck pain for less than six months. A general rule of thumb is that surgical considerations become more viable treatment options when you have more bad days than good ones and your pain is affecting your quality of life.

Your condition gets localized to one or two discs or vertebrae

Since spine fusion limits motion and movement, a patient with several potential treatment areas may not be the best candidate for this type of surgery. Limiting the fusion areas increases the likelihood of less loss of range of motion and more natural movement.

Less invasive treatment options have failed

As with other medical conditions, spine conditions generally get addressed by conservative, less invasive treatment options first. Nonsurgical treatment options for back and neck pain include rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, prescription drugs, exercise, physical therapy, and steroid injections.   

If you suffer from chronic neck pain and want to know if spinal fusion is best for you, schedule an evaluation with Dr. Bhamb at our Century City or Marina Del Rey office. Call or book your appointment online today.