Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure used to correct problems with the bones (vertebrae) of the back (spine). The spine is stabilized by fusing together two or more vertebrae, using bone grafts and metal rods and screws.

Spinal fusion is used to treat:

• Injuries to spinal vertebrae

• Protrusion and degeneration of the cushioning disk between vertebrae (sometimes called slipped disk or herniated disk)

• Abnormal curvatures of the spine (such as scoliosis or kyphosis)

• Weak or unstable spine caused by infections or tumors

Spinal fusion eliminates motion between vertebral segments, which can be a significant source of pain in some patients. The surgery also stops the progress of spinal deformity, such as scoliosis.

Spinal fusion will take away some spinal flexibility. But most spinal fusions involve only small segments of the spine and thus do not limit motion very much.

After admission, you will be taken to the preoperative preparation area where you will be interviewed by a doctor from the anesthesia department, who will review your medical history and physical examination reports. You and your doctor will discuss the type of anesthesia to be used. (Sometimes this is done during an outpatient visit up to 7 days before your surgery.) The most common types of anesthesia used for low back surgery are general (you are asleep for the entire operation) or spinal (you may be awake but have no feeling from your waist down).

The surgical procedure usually takes from 1 to 3 hours, depending on your problem. Your orthopaedic surgeon will remove a portion of bone and ligament overlying the nerve roots and will remove displaced disk material to relieve pressure on the nerve roots. Fusion is sometimes done at the same time, if an instability (spondylolisthesis) is present.

When your surgery is completed, you will be moved to the recovery room, where you will be observed and monitored by a nurse until you awake from your anesthesia. You will have an intravenous (IV) line inserted into a vein in your arm. You also may have a catheter inserted into your bladder to make urination easier.

    * Adapted from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Website