Spinal fusion surgery, also known as spondylodesis or spondylosyndesis is an orthopedic and neurosurgical procedure to fuse two or more spine vertebrae into small solid bones without interspace remained in order to stop any motion between the fused vertebrae. To fill the spaces between two separate vertebrates or to bring stability back to the spine, extra bone is used in spinal fusion. In addition, spinal fusion is designed to treat spinal disorders making motion painful or relieve symptoms of many spinal problems. This may decrease flexibility, but it’s useful to cure spinal disorders (such as scoliosis, kyphosis, tumors spinal stenosis, herniated discs, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease) that make movement painful.

Such a procedure is recommended only when your physician is able to find the source of your pain. Accordingly, your physician may apply imaging tests, such as computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and x-rays. The healing process may last a couple of months.

Spinal Fusion is used for two reasons, first to diagnose the source of pain in the back, neck, or arm, second, as a treatment for pain relief.

• Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion,
• Anterior cervical fusion and fusion,
• Anterior lumbar interbody fusion,
• Posterior lumbar interbody fusion,
• Lateral lumbar interbody fusion,
• Scoliosis fusion surgery.

• Fractured vertebra
• Infection
• Herniated disk
• Scoliosis
• Degenerative disk disease
• Spondylolisthesis
• Spinal stenosis
• Tumor

Some people are not appropriate candidates for spinal fusion due to certain complications, including:

• those with skin infection at the site of needle insertion
• those with a bleeding disorder or used anticoagulant,
• those with high and uncontrolled blood pressure or diabetes.

Like the other surgical procedures, preoperative laboratory testing is needed.

You must consult your physician about any of the following before spinal fusion:

• alcohol use
• dosage of medications that you’re are taking
• any type of diseases for example herpes, colds or flu,
• cigarette smoking
• any illnesses you have, including colds, the flu, or herpes

   Drink only a sip of water to take any medications prescribed by your physician on the day of surgery.

Spinal fusion is performed using general anesthesia. During the procedure, you’ll be lying down to check the blood pressure and monitor your heartbeat during surgery. It may take several hours. A bone graft is performed by the surgeon to fuse two vertebrae.

Your surgeon will make a cut above the pelvic bone and remove a small section of it If the patient’s own bone is used. The bone graft may also be an allograft or synthetic bone, which is taken from a bone bank. Your surgeon will make an incision to insert the bone, depending on where the bone will be welded. The bone graft will be put between the affected vertebrae to fuse them. Occasionally, the bone graft material is inserted between and sometimes is placed over the back part of the spine. Then, the surgeon uses screws, rods, and plates to prevent the spine from movement (internal fixation).

• The followings should be observed after surgery:
• Staying in the hospital for a while (3-4 days)
• Learning the new ways to sit, walk, and stand appropriately.
• Using a brace to put your spine in an appropriate.
• Refraining from normal activities

• reactions to anesthesia or medications
• damage to a spinal nerve
• infection
• bleeding and blood loss
• the pain remained at the bone graft site
• heart attack or stroke during surgery
• blood clots
• respiratory problems

Nowadays, a variety of techniques for performing spinal surgery in Iran has developed due to the up-to-date medical facilities and most experienced spine surgeons in Iranian hospitals. The treatment for different spine disorders depends on the severity of the pain, level of disorder, the status of the backbone, and the patient’s health and age. Different spinal surgical procedures are available in Iranian hospitals. In addition, many foreign patients are getting attracted to Iran for Medova’s treatment at a low cost.