Lumbar spine surgery

A lumbar spine surgery is done at the lower back portion of the body. There are two types of lumbar spine surgery that can be done on a person.

These lumbar spine surgery are decompression back surgery and the lumbar spinal fusion surgery. A lumbar spine surgery called the decompression back surgery is used to relieve the pressure of the nerve root on the bone.

This lumbar spine surgery gives more room for the nerve. There are two types of this lumbar spine surgery called the microdiscectomy and the laminectomy.

In the type of lumbar spine surgery called the microdiscectomy the portion of the bone that presses the nerve root is removed to give more room for the nerve. Disorders like lumbar herniated disc are treated with this kind of lumbar spine surgery.

This microdiscectomy lumbar spine surgery is also called micro decompression spine surgery. As with any other surgery the microdiscectomy also has it own risks and complications.

Some of the complications of this type of lumbar spine surgery are the leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. The nerve root is sometimes damaged. Bleeding and infection is also possible.

The other type of lumbar spine surgery is the lumbar spine fusion surgery. This surgery is aimed at stopping the movement of the segment that causes pain.

The pain arises due to the movement of that particular joint and hence that movement is stopped in this lumbar spine fusion surgery. Conditions that cause pain in the spine like the degenerative disc disease and spondylolisthesis are treated with lumbar spine surgery.

There are other conditions that can be benefited by the lumbar spine fusion surgery. These are weak spine, fractures in spine, and deformity in the spine.

Bone graft is used in a lumbar spine fusion surgery to make the two segments of the vertebral column to grow into one segment. With this method the friction between the two segments is reduced and hence the pain is also reduced.

Usually the level of fusion that is necessary is limited to one vertebral segment. Sometime in very rare cases three levels of fusion is also necessary.

This type of lumbar spine fusion surgery for three levels is done in some cases of scoliosis. Lumbar deformity may also need such three levels of fusion.

Posterolateral gutter fusion, Posterior lumbar interbody fusion, anterior lumbar interbody fusion, and anterior/posterior spinal fusion are the different types of lumbar spine fusion surgery that can be performed on a person.

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