Tiger Woods’ Back Surgery in Plano TX – The 2019 Masters
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Tiger Woods back surgery in Plano TX, is a minimally invasive ALIF technique performed to treat lumbar spine pain and sciatica. No matter if you are a golf fan or not, you certainly know about Tiger Woods. However, did you know Tiger has struggled with knee pain and spinal problems for years?
Like many other professional athletes, Tiger has dealt with several injuries during his long and illustrious career. In 2002, Woods overhauled his swing to prevent injury and pain after hurting his left knee. Tiger later ruptured his ACL in his left knee and underwent surgery to treat the problem. Read on!
Tiger Back Pain
Tiger Woods decided to withdraw from a major tournament in May 2010. It was when he had almost halfway through the final round. He withdrew from the tournament due to a tingling sensation in his right side. Doctors suspected that Woods had a herniated disc. However, they did not confirm it.
Tiger Woods complained of a stiff neck in August 2013. It is when he had only played nine holes in a major tournament. Tiger dropped to the ground during the 13th hole due to pain. Woods said that the pain might be due to the soft mattress in his hotel room.
Tiger Woods withdrew from the Honda Classic Tournament due to severe back pain in March 2014. Tiger’s back pain was clear from his stance, movements, and stretching. He suffered from spinal pain during the last round of the tournament.
Woods confirmed that he underwent a spinal surgery known as microdiscectomy in April 2014. Tiger’s back surgeon performed the surgery to solve the problem of a pinched nerve in his back. The pinched nerve had been troubling Woods for a few years. The back pain caused Woods not to participate in the Masters and other major tournaments in 2014.
Tiger Woods Back Surgery in Plano TX – ALIF
Woods’ victory at the Master Tournament (2019) was the greatest comeback in sports history. Although Tiger’s back surgeon had performed three surgeries between 2014 and 2015, he had back pain again. Tiger back pain was treated with minimally invasive surgery known as ALIF. Dr. Richard Guyer performed the surgery in 2017.
It was when Tiger had not played any major tournament for over 18 months. Compared to other surgeries, the procedure was a lumbar interbody fusion. Woods had three prior lumbar microdiscectomy surgeries, all done from a posterior technique. The 2017 interbody fusion surgery (ALIF) performed followed an anterior approach.
Dr. Richard Guyer, Tiger back surgeon, made a small, vertical incision below Tiger’s bellybutton to the pelvis through his abdomen. Dr. Guyer carried out the dissection to the anterior surface of his Wood’s lumbar spine.
Tiger back surgeon then removed the disc and placed a cage packed with bone graft material between the vertebral bodies – i.e., L5 and S1. Dr. Guyer secured the bone graft material with screws, which he inserted through the cage into the L5 and S1 – above and below the interbody cage.
Research shows that the ALIF procedure provides 75% to 85% relief to the patient. The interesting thing is that the professional golfer got rid of tiger back pain with a few months. Woods returned to the 2019 Masters Tournament and won it with pride.
Tiger Woods Back Surgery in Plano TX – Benefits
When it comes to the benefits of Tiger Woods back surgery in Plano TX, it is a minimally invasive technique to approach the spine from the front. That way, Tiger back surgeon reduces the risk of muscle, soft tissue, and nerve damage in the spine. These damages are common with other interbody fusion surgeries that follow the posterior approach.
ALIF likewise eliminates the possibility of the bulging disc or recurrent disc herniation. It is because the surgeon removes the disc completely. Because of microdiscectomy surgeries in 2014 and 2015, Woods was not a suitable candidate for disc replacement. That’s why Tiger’s back surgeon recommended ALIF surgery. The technique allowed for relieving Tiger’s back pain.
ALIF is a well-tolerated procedure and produces excellent relief of spinal pain. Patients who undergo ALIF surgery can return to their daily activities quickly. Recovery from ALIF surgery ranges from 6-12 months. Experts at MINT has confirmed that it takes 8-9 months for the fusion to solidify.
MINT offers advanced solutions to people with back pain and spinal conditions. Our qualified and expert neurosurgeons use unique approaches to perform Tiger Woods back surgery in Plano TX. Contact us today.
