Plano Texas Back Surgeons – Tiger Woods’ Doctor
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Plano Texas back surgeons are qualified, experienced, and skilled health professionals who perform minimally invasive surgery to treat spinal disorders. Back pain affects over 80% of Americans at some point in their lives. Lower back pain is the most common spinal disorder or complication in the U.S.
Tiger Woods’ doctor advised him to undergo ALIF surgery to relieve his back pain. Today’s article will discuss Plano Texas back surgeons’ efficacy and how Tiger Woods’ doctor treated his lumbar spine and sciatic pain. Read on!
Tiger Woods’ Doctor Performed ALIF surgery
Tiger Woods underwent ALIF surgery in 2017 to relieve pain in his lumbar spine. Woods’ back surgeon advised him to undergo ALIF surgery because Woods had undergone three surgeries previously, and it was impossible to perform another surgery posteriorly.
The procedure involved Tiger Woods’ doctor to make a vertical incision below the belly button. Woods’ surgeon carries out dissection to the anterior surface of the lumbar spine.
The surgeon then removed the damaged disc and placed a bone graft material between the vertebrae. The surgeon used a cage with a bone graft and secured it with rods and screws. After the surgery, Woods underwent a rehabilitation period and performed physical therapy and back pain exercises to relieve his lumbar spine pain.
After completing the rehabilitation period, Woods practiced golf and return to the 2019 Master Tournament. Woods’ was in perfect shape to play golf because he had no back pain. Tiger Woods’ victory at the 2019 Master Tournament was a miracle for his fans.
What is ALIF Surgery?
Plano Texas Back Surgeons perform ALIF surgery through a minimally invasive approach. The procedure involves our MINT’s neurosurgeon making a tiny incision in the front to approach the lumbar spine and remove the damaged disc.
Fusion locks together two or more vertebrae to stop motion and pain. The surgery is also an effective way to correct the spinal alignment. MINT is a reputable clinic in Plano, TX, founded by Dr. Scott Kutz, a board-certified neurosurgeon.
Under the leadership of Dr. Scott Kutz, our neurosurgeons have performed hundreds of surgeries using a minimally invasive method, including ALIF surgery. After making the incision, our surgeon removes the damaged disc from the lumbar spine.
Our neurosurgeon uses specialized cameras and other tiny instruments to streamline the surgical process. Once the surgeon removes the damaged disc, he places a bone graft material in the empty space. The purpose is to restore height and relieve discomfort and pain.
The two vertebrae fuses into a single bone during the rehabilitation period, eliminating the pain and discomfort. MINT’s neurosurgeons recommend ALIF surgery to people with an active lifestyle due to higher success rates. That’s why Tiger Woods’ doctor recommended him ALIF surgery.
Benefits of Minimally Invasive ALIF Surgery
There are many benefits of undergoing minimally invasive ALIF surgery. Plano Texas back surgeons perform ALIF surgery to reduce discomfort and pain in the lumbar spine. The surgery is also effective for relieving sciatic pain. Here are a few benefits of ALIF surgery.
- ALIF surgery allows for placing a large spacer device in the lumbar spine, providing excellent support to the healing vertebrae and a better chance of fusion
- The anterior approach is practical because it does not disrupt the surrounding muscles, tissues, ligaments, and nerves in the spine, leading to reduced discomfort
- ALIF surgery allows for fusing L5 and S1 vertebrae to restore their alignment
- ALIF surgery through minimally invasive technique allows our neurosurgeons to avoid working around nerves in the spine
Moreover, surgery performed through an anterior approach is effective because it allows the patient to go home in a few days. So, shorter hospital stays are another advantage of ALIF surgery performed through a minimally invasive method. Recovery takes between six to twelve weeks, making ALIF surgery a sophisticated surgical procedure for people with lumbar spine pain.
Final Words
Our neurosurgeon at MINT recommends ALIF surgery for back pain resulting from degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, and other spinal conditions. When you have back pain, you take medications, such as NSAIDs to relieve your pain. Some people take opioids or narcotics to treat back pain or undergo other treatments, such as steroidal injections.
Remember, all these treatment options are effective, but they can also cause side effects. When the lumbar spine pain persists for over two months, it is time to discuss your symptoms with our MINT’s neurosurgeon. Depending on your condition and health status, our Plano Texas Back Surgeons may recommend you to undergo ALIF surgery. Contact us today!
