Spinal Fusion Surgery
Spinal fusion is a surgery designed to stabilise the spine by joining two or more vertebrae together. During the procedure, the surgeon places bone graft material between the vertebrae. Screws, rods, or plates may be used to hold everything in place while the bones grow and fuse over time - much like how a broken bone heals.
Fusion can help reduce pain caused by excessive movement between vertebrae or from worn-down discs or joints. Although it limits motion at the fused segment, it often improves overall function and quality of life by reducing instability and nerve irritation.
Who is a Candidate?
You may be a candidate for spinal fusion if you have:
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spinal instability (from arthritis, fractures, or spinal deformities)
- Spondylolisthesis (vertebra slipping out of place)
- Severe spinal stenosis
- Scoliosis or kyphosis
- Certain spinal fractures
- Chronic back or neck pain that hasn’t improved with nonsurgical treatments.
General Candidate Factors
- Significant symptoms affecting daily life
- Tried conservative treatments (physical therapy, injections, medications) for several months
- Findings on MRI/X-ray that match your symptoms
- Good general health to undergo anaesthesia and healing.
Recovery Timeline
Recovery varies based on age, health, and the complexity of the surgery, but a typical timeline looks like:
0–2 Weeks
- Pain and stiffness are common
- Walking short distances encouraged
- Limited bending, lifting, twisting.
2–6 Weeks
- Gradual increase in daily activities
- Return to light household tasks
- Some patients return to desk work.
6–12 Weeks
- Bone begins to fuse
- Physical therapy often starts
- Continued improvement in mobility and pain.
3–6 Months
- Most patients resume normal activities
- Fusion continues to strengthen.
6–12 Months
- Full fusion typically achieved
- Final improvement in strength and comfort.
Benefits
- Reduced or eliminated pain from unstable or damaged spinal segments
- Improved spinal stability
- Better ability to perform daily activities
- Decreased nerve irritation (in some cases)
- Long-term structural correction for deformities like scoliosis.
Risks
Every surgery has risks, and spinal fusion is no exception. Possible risks include:
- Infection
- Bleeding or blood clots
- Nerve injury (rare)
- Failure of the bones to fuse (“non-union”)
- Hardware problems (loosening or breakage)
- Continued or new pain
- Reduced flexibility in the fused part of the spine
- Adjacent segment disease (nearby discs wearing faster over time).
This is just an outline. Your specialist surgeon will be able to talk to you about these issues in more detail and make sure that there is informed consent.