Monday, July 22, 2013

How Simple Lumbar Stabilization Back Surgery Now May Eliminate Need For Painful Spinal Fusion Later


Thousands of Americans are suffering from back pain, and with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, more are expected to start feeling the ache in years to come. There are any number of factors that can cause backaches, and there are even more ways that have been developed to treat it. But among these many techniques, two stand out most strongly: dynamic stabilization lumbar surgery and spinal fusion surgery.

Spinal fusion surgery has long been a reliable method of combating spinal injury. However, the technique has seen even further improvement over the years since it was first developed, and is now even more effective. Dynamic stabilization lumbar surgery is a newer method, developed largely to address lumbar problems before they get to the point of needing spinal fusion surgery, and making it far less likely that the patient would need to undergo the procedure a second time. However, since its development decades ago in Europe, dynamic stabilization lumbar surgery has gained a place as a treatment for lower back pain in its own right.

A Research Effort From Around The World

The development of dynamic stabilization lumbar surgery has been one of the first examples of global leadership within the medical community. Rather than the traditional European dominance of development, this technique is coming from top creative minds headquartered in medical travel destinations like Mexico. One Mexico surgeon, Dr. Juan Dipp, was responsible for creating the procedure associated with the Percudyn Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization System, one of the most used systems for dynamic stabilization.

What Is Dynamic Stabilization Lumbar Surgery?

Procedures like spinal fusion surgery are among the most challenging for any surgeon to perform. However, this area of medicine has attracted the doctors who are up to that challenge, and who love to constantly perfect their surgical technique. These are the doctors who have developed and perfected the dynamic stabilization system.

Originally viewed as s supplement to fusion surgery, dynamic stabilization now has many uses for helping alleviate lower back pain. The key to the procedure is the dynamic nature of the system, which allows it to move and accommodate the area surrounding it more easily. Before the dynamic stabilization, doctors commonly used metal rods to support the back. While effective support mechanisms, these rods were highly disruptive to the natural functioning of the spine.

In the spine, there is nothing quite as hard and rigid as metal; bone, though not exactly fragile, is much more pliable than hard steel. Where the rods had been installed, the spine began to show more wear. Surgeons began to notice a risk for further spinal injury as a result of the very devices which had been installed to help keep patients pain-free.

Using Dynamic Stabilization With Spinal Fusion Surgery

Dynamic stabilization lumbar surgery helps resolve back pain in three main ways. First, it is commonly used to assist with spinal fusion surgery. In spinal fusion surgery, a damaged portion of the patient's back must be fused together with bone grafts in order to facilitate healing. This is common where the spine has been crushed or where some form of degenerative condition has created a destabilization. The main advantage of spinal fusion surgery is that it will reduce stress on the area in the future; there will be less of an ability for that particular vertebra to bend, which will help ensure that it remains healthy. It is unlikely that the patient would see any particular lack of mobility in smaller spinal fusion surgery procedures, but if many vertebra are fused together, some difference may be noted.

The second common use of dynamic stabilization is to assist with healing after a spinal fusion surgery has been performed. This is what it was originally designed to do, replacing the metal rods that formerly helped the back recover after a surgery. In this case, the support helps the fused portion of the vertebra interact with the rest of the spinal column after the surgery. Very often, it is difficult for the fused and non-fused portions to reintegrate into the functioning spine. The dynamic stabilization offers gentle spreading of the forces across the area, reducing tension and allowing for smoother motion.

When used in either of these ways, stabilization can be very helpful in preventing future complications. There is none of the stress and strain that might be expected from a metallic rod, making it much easier for the patient to function short term and long term.

Dynamic Stabilization on Its Own

Lumbar stabilization has a unique ability to simulate the posterior tension band. Located at the furthest back portion of the spine, the band often must be removed during procedures. Without the band, the spine may destabilize and require spinal fusion surgery to treat in the future. A stabilizing device can help prevent that problem, saving the patient from requiring a potentially painful and complex surgery in the future.

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