Woods’ Fusion Surgery Doctor – The Miracle

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Dr. Richard Guyer is Woods’ fusion surgery doctor. Dr. Guyer is a renowned surgeon who performed Woods’ ALIF surgery, a minimally invasive spine surgery that helped the champion golfer relieve back pain and play professional golf again. In this post, we will talk about Dr. Richard Guyer and how he helped Woods overcome lumbar spine pain. Read on!

Woods’ Fusion Surgery Doctor

Dr. Richard Guyer earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine at Philadelphia. After that, he completed his residency at Pennsylvania University Hospital and achieved fellowship training in Long Beach, California.

Dr. Guyer is the co-founder of the Back Institute in Plano, TX, and the spine fellowship program director. The renowned surgeon is also the co-director of the Center for Disc Replacement at Back Institute.

Besides, he is a board-certified neurosurgeon, and he founded the Texas Back Institute Research Foundation. He served as the North American Spine Society president, and currently, he is the chairman of the Research Foundation’s board.

Dr. Guyer operated on Tiger Woods in April 2017 to treat lumbar spine pain and sciatica. Woods’ fusion surgery doctor performed ALIF surgery, and Tiger underwent rehabilitation for six months before returning to 2019 Master’s tournament.

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery – ALIF

Tiger Woods had previously undergone back pain surgery three times. These were microdiscectomy procedures and follow-up surgery between 2014 and 2015 to treat his back pain.

The procedure known as microdiscectomy or micro-decompression is performed to reduce pressure on a spinal nerve caused by a herniated disc. The surgeon makes a small incision in the midline of the spine.

The surgeon uses special instruments to pull spinal structures like muscles and tissue away from the bony surface called the lamina.  The surgeon then cuts out part of the lamina to access and remove the damaged disc pressing on the nerve.

Although the back pain surgery treated the herniated disc, Woods complained of lumbar spine pain and sciatica in 2017. Tiger consulted Dr Richard Buyer, an award-winning surgeon in the US and expert in spinal surgery.

Woods’ fusion surgery doctor performed the minimally invasive spine surgery called ALIF. During the procedure, Dr Guyer made a small incision in Tiger’s stomach and pushed his organs and muscles aside to get to his lumbar spine.

The surgeon then cut out the damaged disc between L5 and S1 and replaced the bone with graft material taken from Tiger’s body or metal implant. Dr Guyer fused the vertebrae with screws and rods. ALIF surgery aims to relieve pressure on the lumbar spine nerve and give it the best healing.

Benefits of ALIF Back Pain Surgery

Woods’ fusion surgery doctor performed ALIF surgery where he approached Wood’s spine from the front than from the back. Generally, the operation is performed through the abdomen with the help of a vascular surgeon who moves the major muscles and blood vessels aside.

Minimally invasive spine surgery is performed to remove a damaged disc in the lumbar spine and relieve pressure on the nerves. The surgeon then places a large cage in the empty space and insert screws through the cage and into the bones for extra stability.

ALIF is beneficial for various spinal conditions, such as painful disc degeneration, spinal imbalance or deformity, instability, and spondylolisthesis. Here at MINT, our neurosurgeon follows ALIF approach to treat these conditions and reduce the risk of complications, such as muscle, tissue, or nerve damage.

Experts at MINT say that ALIF is a well-tolerated back pain surgery, which leads to less pain and a faster recovery than PLIF, TLIF, or XLIF. It allows the surgeon to place a much larger cage than other fusion surgeries that follow the posterior approach.

That way, ALIF provides more stability and increases the chance of fusing the two or more vertebrae solidly. Moreover, ALIF allows better spinal alignment and correction of imbalance or deformity.

According to Woods’ fusion surgery doctor, ALIF is associated with better outcomes, improved quality of life, and decreased chances of developing spinal issues again. It is the best procedure for people with an active lifestyle.

Contact MINT Today!

Minimally invasive spine surgery is a safe procedure performed by MINT’s qualified vascular surgeon and neurosurgeon. MINT has a 98% success rate in back pain surgery, including ALIF procedure. We have an advanced facility equipped with the latest technology tools to perform a successful surgery.

Woods’ fusion surgery doctor performed ALIF surgery to treat Tiger’s back pain, and if your back pain is not relieved with conservative options like medications and physical therapy, you can contact MINT today for advanced options.