Before you decide whether or not to have back surgery, let’s take a look at some of the risks of spinal fusion. This information comes from spine-health.com.
- There may be significant pain at the incision area. The techniques used by some surgeons require both anterior (front) incisions and posterior (back) incisions. If your surgeon uses a bone graft, you may also have pain in the hip, which is the site of most bone grafts.
- The fusion can take six months to two years to set up, or become solid. Patients may have to modify their activities during this time to allow the fusion to complete. Not every fusion heals, and even if it does, it may not result in pain relief.
- Spinal fusion permanently changes the mechanics of the back. The fused segment causes reduced flexibility, as well as additional stress on the nearby, non-fused segments. These segments eventually become weak, resulting in degenerative disease in these areas for thirty percent or more of spinal fusion patients. Although fusion usually reduces the pain and improves the function of the preoperative back, the back will never be normal.
- Spinal fusion is irreversible: it cannot be undone or converted to an artificial disc at a future time. Because of the permanence, patients should view surgery as a last resort.
If you are experiencing problems from a spinal fusion using Medtronic Infuse, contact the Louisville Medtronic Infuse injury lawyers at Gray and White Law. Call us toll free at 888-450-4456 or locally at 502-210-8942, or fill out our online contact form to set up a FREE, no-obligation consultation.