Tiger Woods’ Surgery Fusion – Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
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Tiger Woods’ surgery fusion involved the surgeon making a small incision in the front. The surgeon chose ALIF surgery to spare the back muscles and tissues. The goal was to preserve the muscles, tissues, and nerves in his back so that he could quickly recover from the back pain.
Minimally invasive surgery benefits include less blood, less scarring, small incision, shorter hospital stay, and fast recovery. In today’s article, we will talk about spinal fusion surgery and its types. Read on!
What Is Fusion Surgery?
Fusion surgery is a major technique used to treat back problems. The surgery requires the health professional to make a tiny incision to approach the spine, remove the damaged disc, and place the bone graft material using screws and rods.
Here at MINT, our surgeons use high-quality bone graft material to stabilize the spine. Fusion surgery is a last resort for patients after other treatments have been failed. Let us discuss the type of fusion surgery.
Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
PLIF is a minimally invasive surgery performed to remove the disc between two vertebrae. The surgeon reaches the lower back or spine using the posterior approach to insert the graft material into the intervertebral space.
PLIF maximized fusion and improves spinal stability. The surgeon uses this approach to preserve the posterior elements better, thereby reducing spinal destabilization. The surgery technique allows for less nerve retraction and preserves more surface for fusion.
Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion is a minimally invasive approach to spinal surgery. It is a procedure performed on the lumbar spine to remove the damaged disc and insert a bone graft material to join two or more vertebrae using a cage, screws, and rods.
TLIF is used to treat lower back or leg pain that usually results from degenerative disc disease. It is a fusion technique that stabilizes the lumbar region and reduces painful sensations.
Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
It is a minimally invasive technique used to treat spinal disorders. XLIF is an effective procedure to reduce long-term back or leg pain in minimally invasive surgery benefits. Surgeons perform this surgery when other treatments, such as physical therapy, pain medication, and steroid injection, have failed to relieve pain.
Although the advantages of XLIF include less operative time, reduced blood loss, and shorter length of stay, it has a few disadvantages, such as increased morbidity and mortality rates. That’s why Dr. Guyer selected Tiger Woods’ surgery fusion called ALIF.
Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion
It is a relatively new minimally invasive approach used to remove pressure from the pinched nerves. LLIF helps realign and stabilize bones in the lumbar spine. The surgeon makes an incision in the side of the abdomen to reach the lumbar spine.
The surgeon then removes the disc and insert a bone graft material or spacer between the vertebrae. It allows the surgeon to realign and fuse the bones in the appropriate position. The procedure enables the surgeon to place a large cage in the intervertebral space, which allows for better stabilization and strength of the lumbar spine.
Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Tiger Woods’ surgery fusion was an ALIF procedure performed by Dr. Richard Guyer. Generally, it is a minimally invasive procedure that requires the surgeon to approach the spine from the front.
Unlike XLIF, PLIF, and other procedures, ALIF is a reliable approach to reach the damaged disc in the lumbar spine, remove it, and place the bone graft between the two bones.
Tiger Woods had previously undergone three surgeries, including two microdiscectomy procedures and a follow-up procedure to relieve back pain resulting from a pinched nerve in his spine.
Woods underwent ALIF surgery in 2017, and this time, the surgery was a major success. The champion golfer followed his surgeon’s guidelines during the rehabilitation period, which resulted in a great comeback and victory in the 2019 Masters Tournament.
Minimally Invasive Surgery Benefits
MIS surgery refers to a surgical procedure that requires the surgeon to make a small incision instead of a large opening. MINT is advocating for MIS procedures for many years. The reason is that MIS techniques have an over 95% success rate compared to open-back surgery.
Some of the minimally invasive surgery benefits are small incisions that lead to less blood loss, reduced scarring, shorter hospital stay, and quick rehabilitation. It also does not cause trauma to muscles, ligaments, tissues, and nerves.
MINT has state-of-the-art facilities, the right tools and equipment, and above all, experienced surgeons to perform the fusion surgery effectively. Contact MINT today and schedule your appointment for Tiger Woods’ surgery fusion.
