Spinal Fusion by Expert Spine Surgeons at Mercy
Mercy Medical Center, in Baltimore, Maryland, offers comprehensive care for a wide range of spine conditions, including physician expertise provided by orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons.
Patients from Baltimore and across the Mid-Atlantic region seek our surgeons’ expertise when suffering from chronic back pain. Our surgeons are experienced in performing traditional spinal fusion, as well as correcting previously failed fusions or nonunion fractures.
What is Spinal Fusion?
Spinal fusion is a traditional surgical treatment used to reduce chronic back pain and correct instability and deformity of the spine. A fusion between two spinal vertebrae is similar to a weld between two pieces of metal. After a successful spinal fusion, the two vertebrae are united into one immovable piece of bone. Any joints or discs in the area no longer move, reducing or eliminating pain.
Spinal fusion may be used to treat the following conditions:
How is Spinal Fusion performed?
There are a variety of different techniques used to perform spinal fusion, determined by the location of the vertebrae being operated on and the reason for the procedure. Traditional spinal fusion is completed through an incision made by your surgeon to expose the spine. Bone grafts, either from a bone bank or from another area of the patient’s body (typically the pelvis), are then applied to the two vertebrae being fused. Solid fusion typically occurs within three months to a year of surgery.
When possible, the surgeons at Mercy utilize minimally invasive techniques when performing spinal fusion.