Lumbar Spine Procedures for Lower Back Problems

Lumber spine procedures are surgical operations performed on the lumbar, or lower back portion of the spine. Comprised of the five lumbar vertebrae, the lumbar spinal region extends from the pelvis, or hips, to the thoracic vertebrae, where the rib cage connects to the spine. The lower back is the largest movable segment of the vertebral column and is extremely vulnerable to disorders, including disc herniations, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease, making it a source of pain. Surgical remedies are usually a treatment of last resort, after non-invasive methods, such as exercise, physical therapy, rest, medications, and injections, have proven ineffective at providing relief. Fortunately, the great majority of patients with spinal problems respond to non-surgical therapy. The conditions for which surgery may be performed on the lumbar include herniated disc; (90 percent of all herniated discs occur in the lumbar region); lumbar spinal stenosis, (narrowing of the spinal canal and is a condition that occurs most frequently in older individuals); lumbar trauma (fractures and dislocations), usually resulting from an accident; lumbar vertebral tumors, placing pressure on spinal nerves; and lumbar deformities (scoliosis or kyphosis), which may result from birth defect, trauma, or from other spinal disorders. Surgical procedures performed on the lumbar spine may include minimally invasive surgery, such as endoscopic procedures and laser spinal surgery, but, typically the more traditional open surgical operations are most commonly performed.

Lumbar Spine Procedures Provide Several Treatment Options

At New Jersey Spine Specialists, with offices in Montclair and Summit, our board certified orthopedic surgeons have extensive experience performing lumbar spine procedures including:

Lumbar laminectomy—This procedure relieves the pressure of a pinched nerve, and is used to treat spinal stenosis and herniated discs.

Lumbar spine fusion surgery—Spine fusion surgery is indicated for specific spinal conditions including: worsening spinal deformity, such as scoliosis and kyphosis; spinal stenosis with instability; painful and unstable disc degeneration; arthritis of the spine with worsening sequelae; infections of the spine with bony destruction and instability; and spinal tumors requiring resection and spinal reconstruction.

X-stop—This minimally invasive spinal surgery used to treat lumbar spinal stenosis in appropriately selected patients. The X-Stop titanium implant distracts the narrowed vertebral segments and relieves the pressure on the nerve roots, which often provides relief of leg and back pain. It can be performed as an outpatient procedure.

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