Tiger Woods’ Surgery – Minimally Invasive ALIF
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Tiger Woods’ Surgery was a minimally invasive ALIF procedure performed by Dr. Richard Guyer, a qualified and experienced surgeon. Tiger Woods underwent ALIF surgery to relieve chronic back pain and sciatic pain in his legs. It was a fourth spine surgery within three years.
Minimally invasive ALIF is a procedure that requires a surgeon to remove a portion of a degenerated disc in the lumbar spine. The surgeon removes the disc that causes lumbar spine pain and replaces it with a bone graft material. Fusion surgery aims to provide spinal stability and reduce painful symptoms.
There are many causes of spinal instability, including degenerated discs, herniated discs, spinal fractures, scoliosis, etc. Spinal fusion surgery, such as ALIF, is a common procedure, and the results were quite favorable for Tiger Woods. Read on!
Tiger Woods’ Surgery
Tiger Wood complained of cervical spine pain in 2010. Doctors suspected that the pain was due to bulging discs. However, they had not confirmed it. In 2014, Tiger Woods withdrew from major golf tournaments due to lumbar spine spasms. That’s why he underwent microdiscectomy surgery to relieve a pinched nerve.
Woods also withdrew from golf tournaments to undergo a second microdiscectomy surgery to remove a spinal disc fragment in 2015. In October 2015, he underwent a follow-up procedure to relieve tingling, numbness, and discomfort in his spine. Although the procedure relieved his back pain, Tiger complained of the lumbar spine and sciatic pain again.
Minimally Invasive ALIF
Because Tiger Woods had undergone minimally invasive microdiscectomy surgeries, doctors advised him not to undergo another back pain surgery. That’s why Tiger took medications, performed physical therapy, and followed other treatment options. However, conservative treatment options failed to relieve his lumbar spine and sciatic pain.
Tiger Woods consulted Dr Richard Guyer, a qualified and experienced surgeon, who advised him to undergo minimally invasive ALIF surgery. It is a type of spinal fusion surgery that offers a wide range of benefits for people with lumbar spine spasms and sciatic pain.
Tiger Woods’ surgery, also known as ALIF surgery, follows a unique approach, requiring the surgeon to make a small incision in the front or belly. Spinal fusion surgery, such as ALIF, provides excellent results with minimal scarring because the surgeon approaches the spine through the front.
That way, the surgeon leaves the back muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves untouched. Likewise, the recovery time is relatively shorter due to tiny incisions and fewer disruptions with surrounding muscles, ligaments, tendons, and tissues.
ALIF Surgery at MINT
MINT is a reputable minimally invasive surgery clinic in Plano, TX. Our licensed, qualified, and experienced neurosurgeons perform different types of minimally invasive procedures, including ALIF surgery. Like Tiger Woods’ surgery, our spine surgeon chooses an innovative route to reach the L5/S1 disc space.
Because reaching the L5/S1 disc space is challenging for surgeons, our neurosurgeons make an incision in the front to spare the delicate muscles and tissues in the back. During the surgery, our surgeon dilates tissues planes with small tubes.
As a result, this leads to fusion with tiny incisions and faster recovery. ALIF surgery performed by MINT surgeons is effective and reliable, allowing patients to go home the day after the procedure. Most patients are up within a few hours after minimally invasive ALIF surgery.
However, the bone graft material will take 3-6 months for bone graft material fusion, meaning you will have to avoid strenuous activity. At the same time, you must undergo physical therapy, take prescribed medications, and perform stretching exercises to streamline the rehabilitation period.
Most patients that undergo minimally invasive ALIF like Tiger Woods’ surgery can resume their day-to-day activities within 2-3 weeks or months later. It depends on your occupation, health status, and symptoms severity. MINT has a state-of-the-art facility equipped with cutting-edge tools, ensuring seamless and effective surgery.
Final Words
Minimally invasive ALIF is an effective and well-tolerated procedure, leading to reduced pain and faster recovery than other types of spinal fusion procedures. Unlike other fusion surgeries that require a surgeon to make an incision in the back, ALIF requires our neurosurgeon to make a tiny incision in the belly to approach the spine.
Reaching the concerned or damaged area in the lower spine from the front allows the surgeon to place a much larger cage, providing more stability, increased strength, and higher chances of two vertebrae fusing solidly.
MINT, Plano, TX, is a reputable clinic with experienced neurosurgeons. Like Tiger Woods’ surgery, our skilled neurosurgeons can perform minimally invasive ALIF surgery effectively. Contact us today!
