Lumbar & Sacrum Services:

Lumbar Laminectomy: Removal of one or more entire lamina. Used when greater access is needed to perform a discectomy. Helps release pressure on the nerve when a disc bulges. Instrumented fusions: A procedure in which instruments such as rods, plates, and screws are used to help bones in the spine fuse, or grow together. Hemilaminectomy with discectomy: One lamina bone on a vertebral column and an intervertebral disc are completely removed. Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusions (PLIF): A procedure performed by approaching the spine through the lower back. It involves the insertion of a bone graft into the disc space to help the vertebrae to fuse together. Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody fusions (TLIF): Surgery that involves approaching the spine from the back, or posterior, of the body to place bone graft between two vertebrae. Anterior lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF): This in an operation done under general anesthesia with the assistance of an exposure surgeon. The exposure surgeon is an experienced board-certified vascular surgeon who can get me safe access to the anterior lumbar spine through an abdominal incision. We have done many of these operations over the years successfully. We use an implant from a company called Centinel. This is the device that pro golfer, Tiger Woods received as well, to “rediscover his life.” Kyphoplasty: An image-guided procedure in which a balloon is inserted into a fractured vertebra to create a cavity. A special bone cement is injected into the cavity to stabilize the bone and prevent worsening of the fracture. Kyphoplasty is often used to treat spinal compression fractures. Spinal Cord Stimulator Placement: Spinal cord stimulation may be an option in patients with chronic pain syndromes or failed back syndrome when prior operations unfortunately did not help enough. Some spinal cord stimulators have recently been approved to manage diabetic peripheral neuropathy pain. Spinal cord stimulation is a procedure that delivers low-level electrical signals to the spinal cord or to specific nerves to block or reduce pain signals from reaching the brain. A small incision is made to place the pulse generator in the upper buttock region. The patient may turn the current off and on or adjust the intensity of the signals. Some devices cause what is described as a pleasant, tingling sensation while others do not. There are two major types of spinal cord stimulation systems available, a paddle lead or a percutaneous lead. The paddle lead is wider and must be placed by a surgeon. Percutaneous leads can be placed by either a surgeon or pain management physician. There are also two types of pulse generators, which are like a high-tech battery; a smaller rechargeable pulse generator or a larger non-rechargeable, which is more convenient. However, the non-rechargeable last a shorter time before it needs to get replaced. Some of the newer spinal cord stimulator systems are MRI conditional or even better, MRI compatible. You must ask your doctor to explain the difference and to help choose which is right for you.