ALIF Lumbar Fusion Surgery: How to Make the Decision

Back pain happens to everyone sooner or later. At times, the pain can flare up and interrupt your basic life functions, such as getting dressed or bathing. In most cases, back pain can be treated conservatively in consultation with your doctor. A good physical therapist can work wonders by teaching proper body mechanics. However, if you have exhausted all conservative back pain therapies and still experience excruciating pain in the lumbar spine, you may want to consider an ALIF surgery.

My Lumbar Pain Journey
My journey with severe lumbar (low) back pain started about four years ago in the last trimester of my first pregnancy. The pain became so bad that I was unable to walk the week before the baby was due. Once the baby was born, my doctor and I assumed the pain would recede. The pain did decrease in intensity for a little while, but then can back with a vengeance. On most days, I have difficult tying my own shoes because of the terrible pain.

Back Pain: Conservative Therapies
Over the next four years, I explored many conservative options to decrease lumbar back pain. I practiced yoga three times a week with an experienced teacher. I visited a physical therapist and learned about proper body mechanics - how to bend, lift, and twist. I walked regularly and applied ice and heat packs to reduce pain and inflammation. Eventually, I decided to have a series of three epidural steroid injections in the lumbar spine. The injections helped for a few weeks but, as the medication wore off, I had the same level of pain as before.

Back Pain: The Surgical Decision
Eventually, I sought the opinion of four different surgeons. Should I have surgery? In my situation, would surgery alleviate the pain? What were the risks? I consulted with a highly respected neurosurgeon in my area, and he recommended the ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion) surgery for my particular situation. After viewing a current MRI and x-ray series, he explained that my L5/S1 disc area was collapsed and causing me pain. Since I was relatively young, healthy, and a non-smoker, my surgeon explained that I would have a 90% chance of full recovery with this surgery.

ALIF Surgery: What Is It?
According to my own research and Spine Health, the ALIF surgery uses various hardware and a bone graft or bone marrow to fuse the space. This surgery is best performed on patients who are non-smokers and who are not severely obese. In addition, the surgery works best on a one level fusion.

ALIF Surgery: Is it the Right Decision?
Surgery is always an individual decision made in consultation with your doctor and surgeon. You should consider an ALIF surgery only as a last resort to your severe back pain. You are a good candidate if you do not smoke, you only have one disc level that needs to be fused, and you are not obese. Before deciding on this surgery, be sure to give conservative therapies a fair try. I tried conservative therapies for years before looking to surgery as an option. With just under a week to go before my ALIF surgery, I feel comfortable that I made the right decision.

Schedule an appointment with a good surgeon (neurosurgeon or orthopedic) in your area to discuss if ALIF is right for you. In most cases, the surgeon will require a current MRI before your visit. Your primary care physician can order this painless test for you. The MRI will show the surgeon which disc(s) may be contributing to your pain. In many cases, the ALIF surgery will successfully fuse your disc space, and you will soon be on your way to a pain-free back.

Sources
Spine Health