Fusion Surgery – The Tiger Woods Case
Image by Keith Allison CC BY-SA 2.0 from Wikimedia Commons
Fusion surgery Tiger Woods led to his victory at the 2019 Masters tournament. It was a miracle for Tiger Woods and his fans worldwide. Tiger underwent his fourth spinal surgery in 2017, and it was a minimally invasive ALIF surgery.
Tiger Woods had undergone lumbar microdiscectomy previously. The surgeon followed a posterior approach to perform these three surgeries. However, ALIF surgery is a minimally invasive approach performed from an anterior approach. Read on!
Tiger Woods Spine Surgeries
Research shows that Tiger Woods first experienced back pain in 2010. Doctors suspected that the pain in his cervical spine was due to a bulging disc. However, they had not confirmed it. Tiger Woods withdrew from several major tournaments in 2014 due to severe back pain and spasms in his lumbar spine.
In March 2014, Tiger underwent his first microdiscectomy surgery to relieve a pinched nerve that caused back pain. Although the surgery successfully relieved Tiger’s back pain, he withdrew from several other tournaments in the following year due to severe spinal discomfort and pain. Doctors advised Woods to undergo another surgery.
In September 2015, Tiger Woods underwent second microdiscectomy surgery. The surgeon removes a disc fragment. In October 2015, Woods had a follow-up surgery to improve his back pain symptoms and relieve discomfort.
Fusion Surgery Tiger Woods
Fusion surgery Tiger Woods, also known as ALIF surgery, is a minimally invasive procedure that requires the surgeon to remove the damaged disc by accessing the patient’s spine through the anterior. Although Woods had three back pain surgeries from the posterior approach, undergoing another surgery this way would severely damage his spine.
That’s why Woods’ doctor advised him to undergo ALIF surgery. Tiger Woods underwent ALIF surgery to relieve his lumbar spine pain. The surgeon made a small incision in his belly to approach his lumbar spine and remove the damaged disc between the L5 and S1 vertebrae.
After removing the damaged disc, Tiger’s surgeon placed a bone graft material and secured it with cages, rods, and screws. Bear in mind that the ALIF procedure is much more effective than other fusion surgeries because it allows the surgeon to place a larger cage in the lumbar spine, leading to quick and effective fusion.
According to MINT, a licensed and reputable neurosurgery clinic in Plano, TX, ALIF surgery is an excellent procedure that offers spinal stability and quick reduction of painful symptoms. MINT’s neurosurgeons used this procedure for people with active lifestyles or those who have undergone several surgeries from a posterior approach.
ALIF can treat a wide range of spinal conditions, including degenerated discs, herniated discs, spinal fractures, scoliosis, and sciatic pain. Fusion Surgery Tiger Woods was a successful procedure that enabled Woods to come back to professional golf and perform even better. It was a miracle for Tiger Woods to win 2019’s Masters Tournament after ALIF surgery.
ALIF Surgery at MINT
Like Fusion Surgery Tiger Woods, MINT’s qualified and professional neurosurgeons perform ALIF surgery to relieve the patient’s lower back pain. A patent with lower back pain and sciatic pain can benefit from ALIF fusion surgery, especially if conservative treatments and surgeries from a posterior approach do not relieve their back pain.
ALIF surgery is a sophisticated procedure that requires our MINT’s surgeon to make a tiny incision in the front to approach the lumbar spine, remove the damaged disc, and place the bone graft material effectively.
Unlike open-back surgery and other minimally invasive procedures, ALIF surgery leads to reduced risk of infections, no damage to the muscle, tissues, tendons, ligaments, nerves during the procedure, shorter hospital stay, and quick rehabilitation.
MINT has a state-of-the-art facility with all the essential tools and equipment required for minimally invasive procedures. We have licensed, qualified, experienced, and skilled neurosurgeons who work under the guidance of Dr. Scott Kutz, a professional and reputable neurosurgeon in the United States.
If you have a herniated disc, degenerated disc disease, sciatica, scoliosis, or spinal fracture and the conservative treatment options have failed to relieve your back pain, you can undergo a minimally invasive ALIF surgery to alleviate your back pain effectively. MINT’s neurosurgeons and vascular surgeons work collaboratively to perform minimally invasive surgeries. That’s why our success rate is more than 98%.
Final Words
Tiger Woods is a famous golf player who has won many tournaments. While Woods has many achievements in his golfing career, he has also experienced several injuries throughout his illustrious career. If you want a successful surgery like Fusion Surgery Tiger Woods, contact MINT today!
