Image by Keith Allison CC BY-SA 2.0 from Wikimedia Commons
Woods’ back pain had caused him to withdraw from several major tournaments in the past. Tiger Woods had struggled with spinal pain for many years. The legend golfer had undergone several spinal surgeries, but his back pain symptoms would appear again.
In 2017, Dr. Richard Guyer advised Woods to undergo anterior lumbar interbody fusion or ALIF. Tiger underwent this minimally invasive surgery to treat his spinal pain, and the results were incredible.
Woods came returned to professional golf and won the 2019 Masters’ tournament. It was a proud moment for Woods and his fans because many thought they wouldn’t see him playing golf again.
Tiger Woods has a long history of pain and injury. The star performer has undergone various surgeries throughout his career. For instance, in 2002, Tiger Woods hurt his left knee and later ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the same knee. Woods had undergone surgery a few months later to treat ACL.
Woods’ Back Pain
Tiger Woods withdrew from a major tournament in 2010 after reaching halfway through the final round. Woods complained of a tingling sensation down the right side. The doctor suspected that Tiger had a herniated disc. However, they had not confirmed it.
Three years later, in 2013, Tiger complained of stiffness in his neck area. During the 13th hole of a major tournament, Woods dropped to the ground due to extreme pain. Tiger said that the stiff neck might be due to the soft hotel mattress.
In 2014, Tiger Woods withdrew from the Honda Classic tournament due to his spinal pain. A pinched nerve caused Woods’ back pain. In April 2014, Woods announced that he would undergo a microdiscectomy surgery to treat his pinched nerve. Woods withdrew from the Masters’ tournament because of his surgery.
Microdiscectomy Surgery
A microdiscectomy is a spinal procedure performed to treat a herniated disc. Doctors said the pinched nerve in his spine caused Woods’ back pain. Tiger might have had a herniated disc compressing the nerve and cause discomfort.
During the procedure, the surgeon removed the herniated disc that was pressing on a nerve root. The surgeon used a special microscope to view the area of concern on the monitor.
The view allowed the surgeon to make a tiny incision and spare the muscles and tissues surrounding the herniated disc. Tiger Woods had a follow-up surgery after a month to reduce complications of the microdiscectomy procedure.
ALIF Surgery
Tiger Woods underwent anterior lumbar interbody fusion surgery in 2017 that allowed him to return to the 2019 Masters. Woods had previously undergone three surgeries to relieve pain in his lumbar spine. Woods’ back pain was caused by a narrowed disc in his lower back. The discomfort and pain radiated from his lumbar spine through the buttocks to the leg.
Although Woods underwent conservative treatments, such as medication and physical therapy, they didn’t relieve his pain. Woods announced that he would undergo a minimally invasive surgery known as ALIF.
Dr. Richard Guyer performed the surgery. During the procedure, the suregeon removed the damaged disc between L5 and S1. Bear in mind that L5 is the last vertebral bone in the lower back, and S1 is the top side of the sacrum. Both make a triangular formation of pelvic bones.
Dr. Guyer restored the alignment between L5 and S1 by fusing the bones. ALIF is different from other minimally invasive surgery procedures, such as PLIF and TLIF. It involves making a tiny incision in the front to reach the lumbar spine. The purpose is to spare delicate muscles, tissues, ligaments, and nerves in the spine.
ALIF offers various benefits to people with back, especially those who have an active lifestyle. That’s why Dr. Guyer chose to perform ALIF for Woods’ back pain. The procedure allowed Dr. Guyer to restore normal alignment of the spine by placing a bone graft material between L5 and S1.
The graft material fused the bones and restored alignment. Dr. Guyer used a high-quality mesh cag to secure the bone graft material. Woods follow his surgeon’s advice after the surgery. Tiger performed various physical therapy exercises and took pain-relieving medications during the rehabilitation period.
Contact MINT Today
ALIF is a minimally invasive surgical procedure performed to treat various spinal conditions, including degenerated discs. MINT has qualified and experienced surgeons who have performed ALIF hundreds of times to help patients relieve back pain.
We have a state-of-the-art facility equipped with advanced tools and equipment to perform the surgery. Like Woods’ back pain treated with ALIF, contact MINT today if you suffer from lumbar spine pain.