Tiger Woods Back Surgery Surgeon
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Dr. Richard Guyer is the Tiger Woods Back Surgery Surgeon who performed the ALIF surgery. In general, it is a surgery of the spine, which involves the surgeon to approach the patient’s spine from the anterior – that is from the front of the body.
The surgery involves removing a part of a herniated disc between the two vertebrae. More specifically, surgeons at the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas remove the herniated disc between the interbody vertebrae in the lower back’s lumbar area. Then, the surgeon fuses or joins the vertebrae. Read on!
Tiger Woods Back Surgery Surgeon
In 2017, Woods announced that he had undergone the 4th surgery on his back. At the time, Tiger had not participated in any major golf tournament for over 18 months. Back spasms and pain in his leg made it difficult for Woods to carry out day-to-day activities.
Woods said he didn’t know whether not he would participate in any major tournaments. The ALIF surgery aimed to help him recapture his everyday life and support him in returning to completive golf.
Dr. Richard Guyer is a surgeon who performed the ALIF surgery on woods, in which he fused the L5 and S1 vertebrae. Dr. Guyer uses high-grade titanium material, injected with synthetic protein. The surgery, known as ALIF, relieved pain from his degenerative disc in the lower spine.
What is ALIF?
ALIF stands for anterior lumbar interbody fusion, which is a surgical method to treat back problems like bulging disc or degenerative disc. Fusion locks two or more vertebrae to correct their alignment and stop painful motion. The surgeon gets the job done through an incision from the front.
It is a minimally invasive surgery associated with less intraoperative blood loss and operation time. Also, the approach has shown significant improvements in postoperative back pain than traditional surgery. It is a well-tolerated procedure and associated with a faster recovery than conventional surgery.
The surgery allows the surgeon at the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas to place a much larger cage than spinal fusion. Thus, it provides a higher chance of fusion and more stability of the back.
Back Surgery Benefits
In general, most surgeons perform spinal surgeries using a posterior approach. It may seem unusual to consider performing the surgery through the abdomen. However, there are various reasons why Tiger Woods Back Surgery Surgeon and surgeons at the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas recommend an anterior approach.
For instance, ALIF procedure helps avoid multiple surgeries in one area. Our surgeon will consider ALIF surgery if you have had spinal surgery via a posterior approach. ALIF surgery gives our surgeon better access to the disc without moving vital nerves.
Thus, it enables the surgeon to place the bone graft in front of the spine to fuse more effectively. So, this allows for a smaller incision, less blood loss, and faster recovery. That’s why here at the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas, our surgeons select ALIF based on the patient’s condition.
We recommend ALIF for treating various spinal conditions, which can cause back or leg pain, including degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis. Degenerative disc disease usually develops when there are changes in the shape and size of one or more discs.
These changes can cause flattening of the disc, which means it loses height as well as herniate, rupturing, or bulging onto nerve roots. Besides, spondylolisthesis develops when one of your vertebrae slides forward over the other one that is beneath it.
A stress fracture, sometimes, in a bone that supports a vertebral body shifts forward, which can also cause spinal nerve compression. As a result, it leads to severe back and leg pain.
Like Tiger Woods Back Surgery Surgeon who performed ALIF, the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas has qualified, experienced, and licensed surgeons that adequately perform ALIF to treat such problems.
Why Choose Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas
The Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas is a reputed clinic in Texas. To date, we have treated hundreds of patients who suffered from different back conditions. Here, at the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas or MINT, you will meet highly qualified and experienced surgeons. So, when it comes to back surgery benefits, you will get them all.
MINT has a state-of-the-art facility, modern equipment, and the latest technology. We have a research team in place that collaborates with other reputable health organizations to come up with more sophisticated solutions.
Tiger Woods Back Surgery Surgeon performed ALIF, and it was a successful operation – so if you have any back problem, you can contact us today to discuss it and create a solid treatment plan.
