What You Should Know About Lumbar Spine Surgery?

What You Should Know About Lumbar Spine Surgery?

Lumbar Pain is among the commonest problem that is experienced by the elderly as well as adults. However, the elderly experience lower back pain mostly because of age-related degeneration of the spine, but in adults, the causes may be different. Trauma and spinal disorders are among the commonest causes of lower back pain in young adults. The treatment of the condition may be different depending on the severity of the condition. Spinal problems that do not improve with conventional non-surgical methods require surgery. In this post, we will have a quick look at Lumbar Spine Surgery along with its types. For a CE-certified range of Spinal Implants, find experienced orthopedic products manufacturers.

What is Lumbar Spine Surgery?

The lumbar spine is the lower back between the spinal region L1 and L5. These are the 5 bones that are present in the lumbar spine. Thus, any spinal surgery where the orthopedic surgeon operates in this spinal region is known as lumbar spine surgery. There are two types of lumbar spine surgeries that orthopedic surgeons perform. This depends on the type of spinal problem it is being performed and the cause. Here are the types of lumbar spine surgeries:

• Lumbar Decompression

• Lumbar Fusion

Why is Lumbar Spine Surgery Performed?

The commonest reason why these surgeries are performed is lumbar back pain. Here are some of the causes of lumbar back pain:

• Herniated Disc

• Spinal Stenosis

• Osteoporosis

• Scoliosis

• Spondylolisthesis

• Degenerative disc disease 

What is Lumbar Decompression Surgery?

Sometimes, the cause of spinal pain is the pinching of the nerve roots. This may be because of the formation of bone spurs, a herniated disc, or lumbar spinal stenosis. Such cases require relieving pressure from the nerve to improve associated symptoms. For this, the healthcare service provider recommends lumbar decompression surgery. 

During this surgery, the surgeon removes a small portion of the bone compressing onto the nerve. This helps relieve pressure off the nerve while allowing it to heal. Two types of lumbar decompression surgeries are there:

• Microdiscectomy 

• Laminectomy

Lumbar decompression surgery is performed when non-operative procedures fail to improve spinal pain and other associated symptoms. 

What is Lumbar Fusion Surgery?

Lumbar fusion surgery is different from lumbar decompression. Here, the orthopedic surgeon fuses the vertebrae causing pain using a bone graft. This restricts the movement of that spinal region but improves painful symptoms. 

When it comes to lumbar fusion, the orthopedic surgeon uses spinal implants and instruments. This surgery is often recommended for the treatment of degenerative disc disease and spondylolisthesis. Many surgical approaches are there to perform spinal fusion surgery, and the surgeon chooses it depending on the condition. 

To ensure improved recovery after lumbar spinal surgery, it is important to follow post-op instructions along with rehabilitation. 

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