Lateral lumbar interbody fusion — surgical treatment for lower back pain

Patients who suffer from chronic lower back pain may experience the inability to continue with daily activities because of the pain. Lower back pain can be constant and debilitating, causing you to have a lower quality of life.

At USA Spine Care, we understand the hopelessness that you feel when looking for treatment options for lower back pain. Many of our patients endured pain for several years without any lasting relief from conservative treatment options, such as physical therapy and chiropractic care.

Maybe you have experienced this same frustration of trying several treatments with no lasting relief. Or maybe you have suffered a failed open back surgery and you think that you are out of treatment options. We are here to tell you that there is another treatment for chronic lower back pain that is as effective as traditional open back surgery. Our minimally invasive lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedure helps patients alleviate the pain associated with a compressed nerve in the lower back and recapture their active lifestyle.

If you are experiencing debilitating lower back pain and you are seeking an effective treatment option, we encourage you to keep reading and research our lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedure.

What is our minimally invasive lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedure?

Our minimally invasive lateral lumbar Interbody fusion (LLIF) procedure aims to alleviate the pain associated with a compressed nerve in the lower (lumbar) back. As a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open back surgery, we perform this procedure through a small incision in the side of the body. The surgeon will access the spine through the side incision and proceed to remove the diseased disc in the lumbar that is impacting the nerve. Once the disc is removed, the surgeon will insert a spacer to restore the proper height between vertebrae, and then fuse bone grafts to the adjacent vertebra to immediately stabilize the spine.

The purpose of accessing the spine through a minimal incision in the side of the body is to avoid separating the lower back muscles, cutting bone or moving aside blood vessels. These precautions are not taken during traditional open back surgery, thus resulting in a longer recovery process.*

There are several spine conditions that could cause a nerve in the lumbar (lower) region of the spine to be impacted. We may treat the following spine conditions with our Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion procedure:

• Herniated disc
• Degenerative disc disease
• Degenerative scoliosis
• Pinched nerve

Common symptoms alleviated by our lateral lumbar interbody fusion

Several symptoms are associated with an impacted nerve in the lumbar spine, depending on the individual and the intensity of the nerve compression. However, there are some common symptoms that occur with this type of spine condition:

• Stiffness when standing or walking — A compressed nerve in the lower back can cause severe stiffness in the lower back when standing or walking for too long. Additionally, twisting and bending may result in shooting pains in the lumbar region and down the buttock and leg.

• Numbness or tingling — A pinched or compressed nerve in the lower back can result in loss of feeling or tingling down the leg and buttock. In severe cases, numbness can reach the foot. This might result in an imbalance or difficulty walking.

• Shooting pain and muscle weakness — When a nerve in the lower back is compressed, you might experience shooting pain down the buttock and leg. Additionally, if the compressed nerve is unable to send strong signals to the surrounding muscles, you might experience weakness in the leg when walking, sitting or standing. This weakness may subside when laying down.