Surgical Procedures
There are many ways to perform the operation of “spinal fusion”. For lumbar fusion Dr Moloney likes to do a posterior approach (from behind). The first part of the operation is to expose the spine, then scan the bones with the Bodytom CT machine. The Medtronic StealthStation navigation system is then used to register where the screws need to go. The screws are then inserted into the vertebral bodies that are to be fused.
Following this a decompression of the nerves is carried out by removal of the affected discs into the gap left by the discectomy a spacer or spacers are inserted to restore the disc height. Bone taken at the time of the laminectomy is then used to do the grafting.
Dr Moloney likes to utilise the most current technology available to offer you the best possible outcome for his patients and updates his surgical technique regularly.
Lumbar fusion surgery can be at one level or several levels. It is true that the more levels that are fused the less will be the movement of the back. However, patients who have been experiencing severe back pain for some time find that the reduction in movement associated with pain relief is a fair trade.
Following any major surgery and especially spinal fusion it is important to follow the instructions given to you afterwards to get the best possible result. For more information see our After Surgery page.
