Spinal Surgery

XLIF – Minimally invasive lateral approach to an anterior interbody lumbar fusion.  Usually accompanied by posterior instrumentation.

ALIF – Abdominal approach to an anterior interbody lumbar fusion.  This approach requires delicate manipulation of the major blood vessels located in front of the spine.

TDR – Total Disc Replacement.  Approach anteriorly in the cervical and lumbar spine.  Removal of the diseased disc and replaced with a motion preservation disc replacement. 

Microdiscectomy – Through a small incision in the back, a disc herniation can be removed, relieving an impinged nerve root.

Decompression – Similar to a microdiscectomy.  Through a small incision in the back, a nerve root can be decompressed from stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, or where the nerve root passes through.

Fusion – This is a very broad term covering both anterior and posterior spinal fusions utilizing implants, your own bone graft, and/or instrumentation.