Two-Level Disc Replacement + Third Level Fusion
Because we're treating three consecutive levels of the cervical spine, I'm performing a hybrid spine surgery: a 2-level disc replacement + fusion. This'll help preserve as much natural motion and…
Laminectomy and Fusion L4-5 S-1
Although this patient had an L5-S1 laminectomy years ago, they're now experiencing back and leg pain plus stenotic pressure on the spine. To correct this, I performed a laminectomy and…
Lifting in the Gym and the OR!
I don't only lift in the gym, I also lift in the OR! For this patient with spondylolisthesis at L5-S1 with noticeable modic signs, I performed an interbody posterior fusion…
Cervical Myelopathy: 4-Level Anterior Discectomy and Fusion
Remember: myelopathy is a narrowing in the spinal canal which compresses the cord. This patient with a cervical myelopathy is having difficulty with walking and fine motor movements. Our first…
Cervical Myelopathy: Snug Spinal Cord
You might want to be snug as a bug but you don't want your spinal cord to be snug. With cervical myelopathy, the spinal cord is compressed which can cause…
Combined Interbody and Posterior Fusion
Although this patient had a previous laminectomy, you can see now where the disc is collapsed at L3-4 and herniated at L4-5. To amend this, I'm going to perform a…
Minimally Invasive Fusions
It's a wonderful feeling when a patient you treated decades ago trusts you to perform a second surgery. 20 years ago I operated on this patient and performed an L3-L5 spinal…
Interbody Fusion Device
It can be hard to understand the difference between incisions 10 years ago and incisions today. 10 years ago, this patient had a laminectomy with a cut that was 8"…
Pseudarthrosis: An Unsuccessful Spinal Fusion
It's unfortunate when a patient comes to see me for back pain, and I find that they have pseudarthrosis – when two or more bones do not successfully fuse together.…
Anterior Fusion – Spinal Plate (Part 2)
Standalone implants are strong but when next to a fusion, they need to be even stronger. I inserted a spinal plate to add further strength and stability. See the difference?…