Tiger Woods’ Spine Surgery in Plano TX
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Do you want to know about Tiger Woods’ Spine Surgery in Plano TX? If yes, you are in the right place. Back pain is a common condition that affects more than 80% of people in the United States at some point in their lives.
Common spine condition treatments include medication, physical therapy, steroidal injections, acupuncture, stretching, and strengthening exercises. However, when these treatments fail to relieve back pain, your doctor may recommend you to undergo minimally invasive surgery, such as XLIF, ALIF, PLIF, discectomy, etc.
Tiger Woods is a champion golfer who has experienced a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries throughout his illustrious career. In today’s article, we will discuss Tiger Woods’ back pain and the spine condition treatments he underwent to relieve back pain. Likewise, we will discuss why ALIF surgery was a miracle for Tiger Woods. Read on!
Tiger Woods’ Spine Surgery in Plano TX
In 2010, Tiger Woods withdrew from a major tournament due to a tingling sensations in his right side. Doctors assumed that Tiger had a herniated disc, but they never confirmed it. Woods complained of stiffness in his neck, due to which he withdrew from the tournament after playing nine holes out of eighteen.
Tiger Woods said that a soft mattress in his hotel room might have caused the pain. In March 2014, Woods withdrew from the Honda Classic tournament due to severe back pain. It was pretty apparent from Woods’ movements, stretching, and stance that he had severe back pain.
In April 2014, Tiger said that he would undergo a microdiscectomy surgery to relieve a pinched nerve that caused severe back pain. A microdiscectomy procedure helps treat a herniated disc. Woods had a herniated disc that would compress his nerve and cause pain.
The surgeon performed the procedure to remove the herniated disc that pinched the nerve root or pressed the spinal cord. During the procedure, the surgeon used a special microscope to view Woods’ disc and surrounding area, allowing the surgeon to make a small incision in the back to cause fewer disruptions to the tissues that surround the herniated disc.
Tiger Woods underwent a second microdiscectomy surgery in 2015 to remove a disc that pinched his nerve. Woods announced that he would undergo a follow-up procedure to reduce the discomfort and pain in his back.
Tiger Woods’ Spine Surgery in Plano TX – ALIF Surgery
Tiger Woods complained of back pain even after he had previously undergone three microdiscectomy surgeries. Because these surgeries were performed from a posterior approach, they had severely narrowed his discs. Tiger had lower back and leg pain, and he took medications and underwent physical therapy to relieve back pain.
Although medications and physical therapy relieved his back pain temporarily, Tiger complained of stabbing pain in his lower back from time to time. The pain caused him to withdraw from several major tournaments. Because conservative spine condition treatments failed to relieve his pain, he consulted Dr. Richard Guyer.
Dr. Guyer recommended Woods’ to undergo Tiger Woods’ Spine surgery in Plano, TX, also known as ALIF surgery. During the procedure, Dr. Guyer made a small incision in the front to reach his lumbar spine and remove the damaged disc.
Then, Dr. Guyer placed a bone graft material between Woods’ L5 and S1 in the lumbar spine. Dr. Guyer secured the bone graft with a cage, rods, and screws. Because ALIF is a minimally invasive surgery with an anterior approach, it does not damage the lumbar spine’s delicate muscles and soft tissue structures.
Likewise, it does not damage the nerves in the spine, leading to increased support and faster restoration of the spinal alignment. Tiger Woods’ Spine Surgery in Plano TX was successful that allowed him to come back to the 2019’s Master Tournament and win it.
ALIF at MINT
MINT is a reputable neurosurgery clinic with neurosurgeons who have expertise in various spine condition treatments, including ALIF surgery, an advanced approach that uses specialized instrumentation to improve spinal alignment and relieve back pain.
Bear in mind that our MINT neurosurgeons make a small incision in the front during the ALIF surgery, leading to less blood loss, less pain, and shorter recovery times. Our neurosurgeons ensure to avoid damaging the strong and thick lumbar spine’s posterior muscles.
There is no manipulation to your spinal nerves, leading to reduced chances for permanent nerve damage. Like Tiger Woods’ Spine Surgery in Plano TX was successful, you can also undergo ALIF surgery if conservative treatments have failed to relieve your lower back pain. Contact us today!
