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Tiger Woods Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion is was a successful minimally invasive procedure that led him to return to the 2019 Master’s tournament and win the championship. Dr. Richard Guyer, a qualified and experienced surgeon, performed the anterior lumbar interbody fusion or ALIF to treat Tiger Woods’ lower back pain.

Minimally invasive surgery back pain is an effective approach to treat the lumbar spine. ALIF allows a surgeon to reach the lumbar vertebra by making a small incision in the abdomen, leading to a better fusion and perseveration of muscles, tissues, ligaments, and nerves. In today’s article, we will discuss Tiger Woods ALIF surgery. Read on!

Tiger Woods Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Tiger Woods had undergone three minimally invasive surgery back pain to relieve pain. Although these procedures provided him relief, the disc had become severely narrowed that caused pain in his lumbar spine and leg. Conservative treatment options, such as medications and physical therapy exercises, failed to provide relief.

That’s why Tiger Woods consulted Dr. Richard Guyer, who recommended him to undergo a minimally invasive ALIF surgery. In April 2017, Tiger Woods announced on his official website that he would undergo an ALIF surgery to remove the damaged disc between L5 and S1. Bear in mind that L5 is the last vertebra in the lumbar spine, and S1 is the top of the sacrum.

Dr. Richard Guyer made a small incision in Tiger’s abdomen to reach the affected area. By retracting the surrounding muscles, Dr. Guyer inserted a bone graft material to fuse the L5 and S1. Thus, it led to the restoration of alignment between the sacrum and vertebra.

After Tiger Woods Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, he underwent the rehabilitation period to recover from the surgery. Tiger performed various physical therapy exercises and took other measures per his doctor’s instructions to speed up the recovery. Tiger Wood’s minimally invasive surgery back pain was successful that led him to return to the Master’s tournament and win it.

Minimally Invasive Surgery Back Pain

The Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas (MINT) is a reputable clinic in Plano, TX, with experienced and qualified neurosurgeons who have performed hundreds of successful ALIF surgeries. Our neurosurgeons recommend the ALIF technique because the posterior or PLIF approach can cause complications.

PLIF surgery requires the surgeon to approach the damaged disc from the back, damaging muscles, tissues, and nerves in the lumbar spine. Because Tiger Woods has an active lifestyle, it was necessary to spare the muscles and nerves in his lower back. Because PLIF can damage these structures and affect the lumbar spine’s anatomy, MINT’s neurosurgeons prefer the ALIF technique.

ALIF surgery enables our neurosurgeon to restore the spine’s normal alignment by placing the bone graft material between the two damaged discs. The graft material is secured with a mesh cage, screws, and rods holding the bones and fusing them into a single bone.

Benefits of ALIF Surgery

ALIF surgery is a well-tolerated, minimally invasive procedure performed to treat different spinal conditions, such as lower back instability, spinal imbalance, deformity, spondylolisthesis, and degenerative disc disease.

ALIF surgery is associated with less blood loss, less post-operative pain, fewer scars, and fast recovery than other spinal fusion procedures. It allows a surgeon to place a larger cage, providing more stability and improved fusion.

The procedure allows for better correction of imbalance and deformity in the spine, leading to long-term benefits and reduced chances of follow-up surgeries. Because our Mint’s surgeon approaches the spine from the abdomen, delicate muscles and soft tissues are spared. ALIF also does not cause infection risks because of a smaller incision in the gut.

Overall, ALIF surgery has a success rate of more than 98%. However, full recovery depends on various factors, such as your specific situation, post-operative care, and rehabilitation. It is essential to consult a qualified neurosurgeon before undergoing this procedure.

Contact MINT Today

Tiger Woods suffered from lower back pain that caused him to withdraw from several major tournaments. The champion golfer underwent conservative treatments, such as medications, physical therapy exercises, and epidural injections. However, they failed to provide him relief.

Tiger Woods Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion was a successful surgery that allowed Woods to come back to professional golf and continue making achievements. Here at MINT, we perform ALIF surgery to treat various spinal conditions.

MINT has a state-of-the-art facility with superior-quality tools and equipment to perform a successful ALIF surgery. Suppose your lower back pain persists for more than 2-3 months. In that case, it is time to talk to our qualified neurosurgeon if you want a successful surgery like Tiger Woods Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion.