Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion

Lumbar interbody fusions involve removing a large part of the intervertebral disk and then placing a "cage" filled with bone or bone substitute between the two vertebral bodies.

The cage fulfills two crucial purposes:

• It serves as a spacer that keeps the vertebral bodies from collapsing upon each other after the intervertebral disk is removed.
• It encourages the growth of bone between the vertebral bodies above and below it, eventually resulting in a solid fusion.

Studies show that patients undergoing interbody fusions along with posterolateral lumbar fusions fuse at higher rates than those undergoing posterolateral fusions alone, which is why an interbody fusion is recommended whenever possible.

Dr. Bidiwala specializes in Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion (MIS Fusion), using smaller incisions and specialized retractors to access the spine, significantly reducing muscle damage, blood loss, and recovery time while achieving the same structural stability.

Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF)

Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)

Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF)

Posterolateral Lumbar Fusion (PLF)

Spinal fusion is considered when conservative treatments fail to relieve back or neck pain caused by abnormal motion or instability between vertebrae. This is common in conditions like spondylolisthesis (where one vertebra slips over another) or severe degenerative disc disease.

It is also often performed in conjunction with a laminectomy if the decompression procedure requires removing enough bone that the spine would become unstable.

During your consultation, Dr. Bidiwala will review your X-rays and MRI to determine the best approach (ALIF, PLIF, TLIF, or XLIF) tailored to your specific anatomy and condition.

Recovery from a spinal fusion takes longer than a decompression surgery because it takes time for the bones to fuse solidly. Depending on the approach (ALIF, PLIF, TLIF, or XLIF), you may spend 1 to 4 days in the hospital, though some minimally invasive fusions can be done with shorter stays.

You will strictly avoid bending, lifting, and twisting for several weeks (typically 8 weeks). X-rays will be taken periodically to monitor the bone growth. Full fusion can take 6 to 12 months, but you can typically return to most normal activities much sooner once cleared by Dr. Bidiwala.

Preparation

Performed under general anesthesia with precise intraoperative imaging and nerve monitoring.

Surgical Access

Using minimally invasive techniques, small incisions are made to access the unstable segment of the spine from the front, side, or back.

Graft Placement

The damaged disc is removed, and a spacer (cage) filled with bone graft material is inserted between the vertebrae.

Instrumentation

Screws and rods are often placed to hold the vertebrae perfectly still while the bone graft heals and fuses.

Fusion Process

Over the next several months, your body grows new bone across the graft, permanently joining the vertebrae.