Type of Surgery
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Last updated: 11/24/2009
Bracing and "watchful waiting" is the alternative to scoliosis surgery. Disk surgery without fusion is possible for some patients. Strengthening exercises and physical therapy may help some back pain patients avoid back surgery.
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For most of us, pain is something that occurs when we bang our foot or burn our finger; however, for some people pain is an unrelenting source of anguish that they must live with daily. This video shows a new and specific technique for pain control called spinal cord stimulation. Spinal cord stimulation is a neurosurgical technique in which a thin electrode is inserted in the spinal cord up to the brain and stimulates nerve fibers do disrupt pain pathways.
In this spinal fusion, the surgeon makes an incision in the lower abdomen to access the lumbosacral spine (A). The disks between the vertebrae are removed (B), and bone grafts are inserted into the spaces (C). Then another incision is made in the patient's back (D), and the vertebrae are exposed and fixed to the pedicle plates and screws (E) (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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Spinal fusion, also known as spondylodesis or spondylosyndesis, is a surgical technique used to combine two or more vertebrae. Supplementary bone tissue (either autograft or allograft) is used in conjunction with the body's natural osteoblastic processes. This procedure is used primarily to eliminate the pain caused by abnormal motion of the vertebrae by immobilizing the vertebrae themselves.
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The total number of neurosurgeries performed in 2006 was estimated at 2,171,195. Of these, 1,345,167 spine-related were performed, equating to nearly 62 percent of the total.
From: AANS
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