You may have heard of spinal fusion but may not know much about the procedure. While there are some limitations following surgery, there are many benefits that outweigh potential restrictions.
What is spinal fusion?
Spinal fusion is a procedure that connects two or more vertebrae (bones) in the spine together, essentially creating a single, solid bone. This procedure is used to treat conditions that cause pain or instability in the spine due to various conditions.
Types of spinal fusions include:
- Lumbar fusion: Performed in the lower back, often for degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis (when bone from one vertebra slips forward onto the bone below)
- Cervical fusion: Performed in the neck, commonly used for herniated discs or spinal instability
- Thoracic fusion: Performed in the mid-back, usually for scoliosis (when the spine curves sideways) or trauma
The surgical approach used is tailored to each patient’s anatomy and the location of their damaged vertebrae. However, it is common for neurosurgeons touse bone tissue with hardware to reinforce the fusion.
Spinal fusion approaches include:
- Anterior spinal fusion: This approach accesses the spine from the front of the body, often through the abdomen.
- Posterior spinal fusion: This approach accesses the spine from the back of the body, typically through an incision in the middle of the back.
- Lateral spinal fusion: The approach accesses the spine from the side, often using a minimally invasive technique.
Spine surgery is often only recommended after more conservative treatments have failed to cause relief. The goal of spinal fusion is to reinforce the stability in your back, resulting in less pain.
What does recovery from spinal fusion surgery look like?
Since the spinal fusion approach is unique for each patient, an open approach or a minimally invasive approach may be used by your surgeon. Recovery is a gradual process but results in benefits that outweigh potential limitations.
- A few days in the hospital: A hospital stay of 2 or 3 days is common following spinal fusion.
- Focus on healing for a few weeks: Patients are often advised to focus on pain management and rest for two to six weeks following surgery. Your surgeon and care team will guide you on when to return to your normal schedule.
- Progress over time: While relief can come more quickly, you will continue to notice a gradual improvement over three to six months.
Bone healing takes time, but with proper after-care habits, spinal fusion can be a very successful procedure. As you recover, your physician may also recommend physical therapy to help you regain strength and mobility in your back. Following the proper restrictions on bending, twisting and lifting is essential for optimizing your recovery.
What are some of the restrictions after spinal fusion?
Life after spinal fusion surgery may look a little different than what you are used to. The goal of the surgery is to reinforce the stability in your back, but this comes with somepermanent limitations. Once two or more vertebrae are fused, they are no longer able to move independently, which can affect your flexibility and range of motion.
Spinal fusion patients will lose flexibility in the fused section. Typically, you are unable to:
- Bend at the fused area
- Twist or rotate the spine
- Perform deep stretches the require spinal joint movement
This reduced mobility can impact activities like tying shoes, reaching overhead and getting in and out of a car.
You may also be limited on lifting heavy objects or performing some athletic movements, especially during the first 6-12 months post-surgery. Long-term, you may be restricted from:
- Lifting more than 10-15 pounds
- Engaging in high-impact sports (like running or football)
- Doing repetitive bending or twisting motions at work or during exercise.
All these restrictions help reduce strain on the fused area of your spine and preventscomplications.
The good news, though, is that spinal fusion has a high success rate. With proper postoperative care, spinal fusion patients benefit from less pain and a greater quality of life.
A team you can trust
With any type of surgery, but especially with spine surgery, you want a surgeon and team that you can trust. At Northeast Georgia Physicians Group, our expert neurosurgeons treat the full spectrum of neurologic diagnoses, including spinal fusions. To schedule an appointment, visit ngpg.org/spine.