All About Spinal Fusions in Palm Desert CA

*Information from the Mayo Clinic

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure done in an effort to improve spinal stability, correct deformities, and alleviating pain. Contact our Palm Desert CA chiropractic clinic today to find out what you need to know:

Why It's Done

SPINAL FUSION CAN HELP:

• Reshape the Spine: Improve issues like scoliosis, where the spine curves sideways.
• Address Spinal Instability: Often caused by severe arthritis, excessive motion between spinal bones can lead to instability.
• Stabilize After Disk Damage: Following the removal of a damaged disk, spinal fusion can provide necessary stability.

Risks

While generally safe and frequently done procedure, spinal fusion carries potential risks, including infection, poor wound healing, bleeding, blood clots, nerve or blood vessel injury, pain at the bone graft site, and the return of original symptoms.

The reason our office encourages patients to try non/minimally invasive options first is that a spinal fusion is permanent changes to your spine. If you have complications or it doesn't help directly after or on a future date with symptoms, then our ability to work on a fused spine is somewhat limited. This is because the joints that were previously there are fake or non-existent.

Surgical Preparation & Procedure

PREPARATION INVOLVES

• Trimming hair and cleaning the surgical site.
• Discussing medications with your healthcare provider.

DURING SURGERY:

• The surgeon accesses the spine via incisions in the back, neck, stomach, or throat.
• Bone grafts, sourced from a bone bank or the patient’s pelvis, or human-made materials, are prepared.
• The surgeon places the graft material between the bones and may use metal plates, screws, or rods for support.

Results In Palm Desert CA

Spinal fusion is generally effective for stabilizing the spine and correcting deformities. However, it might not always outperform nonsurgical treatments for unclear causes of back pain. Future surgeries might be necessary as adjacent spinal areas will break down faster.

For more information or to discuss if spinal fusion is right for you, please contact us.

Best Regards,
The Go Healthcare Team