Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion is a surgical procedure used to remove vertebral bone or disc material. This helps reduce pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerves.

The term “Corpectomy” is derived from the Latin word “corpus”. The word “corpus” refers to body and “ectomy” refers to removal.

Symptoms

The Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion treatment is recommended when non-surgical treatments fail to address the problem.

Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion is used for nerve compression in the lower back region. This nerve compression leads to numbness, weakness, or back pain. The pain may also radiate to legs, buttocks, and hips.

Common causes of spinal never compression including the following.

Surgical Procedures
An incision is made on the side of the abdomen through which soft tissues are retracted to gain visibility to the spine. A portion of vertebral body and intervertebral disc is removed for accessing the affected neural structure. Source of compression is removed and compressed nerves released. A bone graft or bone graft substitute is inserted between the vertebra at compression site for promoting healing and preserving normal disc height. Different types of implant materials are used like plates, rods, and crews. These fixations help treat vertebra for delivering additional support and stability during the healing process. Once the procedure is completed, the surgeon realigns soft tissues and closes the incisions.

Recovery
Once the Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion procedure is performed, the patient feels immediate relief and improvement for some or all of the symptoms. It may take longer than usual to realize all the health benefits.

Duration of stay for recovery varies with the kind of treatment administered. Usually patients are allowed to move and walk at the end of the first day after surgery. A patient’s ability to return to their normal routine depends on the healing and type of activity or work they have to perform.

Associated Risks or Complications
There are different risks associated with Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion like nerve damage, infection, blood clots, blood loss, bowel, and bladder problems.

An important risks associated with Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion is failure of the surgery.

Get in touch with one of the doctors at Core Orthopedics to have your Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion related questions answered.