Instrumentation plays a vital role in improving spine health through surgical intervention. A variety of different hardware types and techniques is used to provide stabilization, pain reduction and an enhanced quality of life, as well as to prevent serious complications that can include difficulty walking or breathing, back or neck pain and even paralysis. The type of instrumentation used in your surgery will depend on your specific health condition and the decision of the surgeon as to what is the best path to take for correction and better health. To learn more about lumbar instrumentation and surgical treatments, contact Dr. Chetan Patel at AdventHealth Medical Group Spine Health by calling Call407-303-5452.
What Does Instrumentation Do?
In most instances, lumbar instrumentation refers to hardware designed to provide stabilization for an unhealthy spine. This includes wires, hooks, rods, screws and plates, as well as other types of hardware. However, there are new types of hardware available that include replacement discs – these are constructed of surgical grade metal or surgical metal/plastic and are inserted between the vertebras when a degenerative disc must be removed (as an alternative to spinal fusion treatment).
How Is Instrumentation Installed?
Dr. Chetan Patel will take different courses of action when installing lumbar instrumentation at AdventHealth Medical Group Spine Health. Each case is unique, and the exact procedure used will depend on the patient’s symptoms, underlying condition and ultimate goal. For instance, for a patient who needs to retain some mobility in their spine after complete disc degeneration, a disc replacement might be the preferred option. However, for an individual with a less active lifestyle or one who is older, the proper procedure might be spinal fusion of the vertebras using screws and plates in conjunction with a bone graft.
All hardware installation requires surgery, though. However, Dr. Patel strives to use only minimally invasive procedures. Compared to older open surgeries, minimally invasive procedures offer quite a range of advantages to patients, including reduced pain during recovery, a shorter recovery time, no need to cut through muscle tissue and a shorter procedure overall.
Types of Spinal Hardware
Spinal instrumentation comes in a wide range of types. Wires and hooks, while older options, are still used particularly in lumbar spine surgery. However, pedicle screws and plates can also be used to join vertebras together for fusion. In some instances, cage constructs are required (sometimes to hold bone graft material). Other types of hardware include the aforementioned replacement discs. New plate and screw constructs used in dynamic stabilization (used for patients who need to retain some mobility in the fused spinal section) are also used. Finally, bone stimulators are also used in spinal surgery. These emit a low electrical frequency that stimulates bone growth within the sections being fused and help speed the process (or help when fusion is not progressing as it should).
To learn more about spinal instrumentation, or your various options in spine surgery to reduce pain and discomfort, contact Dr. Chetan Patel. Call Call407-303-5452 to make an appointment at AdventHealth Medical Group Spine Health.