Spinal Fusion Baltimore MD Explained

Has your doctor suggested spinal fusion Baltimore MD as a possible solution to your chronic pain?  If so, this probably means that you have met a few criteria in order to qualify for this procedure.  Some of these are as follows:

• Your doctor has used one or more imaging tests like x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to precisely pinpoint the source of your pain.
• You have attempted to utilize less invasive forms of pain control like over-the-counter medications, prescription medications, topical preparations or injections of steroidal-type medications, or exercise/physical therapy to manage your condition.
• You have a diagnosis of spondylolisthesis, degenerative disk disease, spinal stenosis, or some kind of isolated infection or tumor.
• Your pain is the result of a specific and identifiable accident/injury.

Spinal Fusion Baltimore Procedure

First, your primary care or other physician may refer you to a spinal fusion doctor Baltimore.  This is normally an orthopedic or neurological surgeon who has trained extensively in performing this procedure.  It is possible to compare this kind of surgery to a welding project.  One or more of the small bones in the back, or vertebrae, are fused together to make one complete, solid piece of bone as opposed to the original, individual ones.  It stops the motion between the vertebrae and can be helpful when the stretching or pinching of enclosed nerve structures is clearly identified as the chronic pain source.

The fusion surgery is usually elective, except in cases of severe, unexpected injury to the spine, in which case it becomes an emergency.  Since the most common complication of the surgery is clinical failure, meaning that your pain does not improve in spite of the surgery, electing to have the surgery is somewhat of a calculated risk.  Your surgeon will also need some bone material to utilize when performing the procedure. You will need to decide if you prefer to have an autograft, in which the surgery team harvests the needed bone graft from your thigh bone, or an allograft, which means that the bone graft material comes from a cadaver.  Your medical team can help you make this and other important decisions if you do elect to have the fusion surgery.