Denton County Living Well Magazine November/December 2016 | Page 21

Lateral Lumbar Fusion

Courtesy Dr. M. Viktor Silver

T

he Lateral Interbody
Fusion is an approach to spinal fusion in which the
surgeon
accesses
the intervertebral disc space
and fuses the lumbar spine
(low back) using a surgical approach from the
side (lateral) rather than
from the front (anterior)
or the back (posterior).
Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure in which
two or more of the vertebrae in the spine are
united together so that
motion no longer occurs
between them eliminating
back pain and abnormal
movements of the spine.
The Lateral Lumbar Fusion is a type of interbody fusion, where the
disc in the front of the
spine is removed and
replaced with an implant
containing a bone graft
to set up the condition for
the two vertebrae to fuse
together through the disc
space.
It is a minimally invasive
type of spine surgery
designed to accomplish a
spinal fusion with several

advantages including:
• Minimal tissue damage with no need to work
on back muscles with less
pain after surgery and
faster recovery.
• Minimal blood loss.
• Small incisions and
scars.
• Minimal post-operative discomfort.
• Significant improvement
of chronic back pain.
• Relatively quick recovery time and return to
normal function. Patients
usually walk the day of
surgery.

Traditional Posterior Lumbar
Interbody Fusion exposure
involved bilateral resection
of back muscles, bone, and
posterior ligaments.

The Lateral Lumbar Fusion
procedure avoids cutting of
muscle or bone, resulting in
shorter hospital stays and
faster recovery.

Case Example/Patient Testimonial:
Richard Hatch, 54-years-old, RN, with years of chronic back and leg
pain, progressively getting worse. When he came to the office, the only
way that he could get any relief was on fetal position and that’s how he
laid on the examining table.
He had tried everything in his life, including chiropractors, physical
therapy, and pain doctors and could no longer work.
After a multilevel minimally invasive lateral lumbar fusion, he is painfree for the first time after 25 years. He is finally able to walk and stand
without pain and taking no pain medications! And working full-time!

In some cases, it requires
only 1 or 2 days of hospital-stay, compared to several days of immobility
and hospitalization after
traditional procedures.
Please, come and experience a concise, positive and straightforward
approach to your spinal
problem.
Stop taking pain pills
and crying, come see
Dr. Silver, for a caring
approach to your spinal
pain and for a completely new outlook on life.

DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

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