ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion)
Why is an ALIF performed?
Most patients with low back and/or leg pain will not require surgery. When non-operative treatment does not help enough, surgery may be necessary. The goal of surgery is to relieve you of severe pain and return stability to your back.
What causes the pain?
The cause of the pain is wear and tear of the intervertebral disc (disc) at the base of the back. This is a normal aging phenomenon that occurs in everyone. The degree to which it occurs varies from person to person. This wear and tear occurs in the most mobile links of the back, at the level of the neck and low back. It can occur after years of heavy loading or due to instability of a link (after herniated disc surgery).
How is the procedure performed?
Depending on the level that needs to be operated on, an incision is made either below the navel or along the bikini line. The intervertebral disc is completely removed without touching the spinal cord or nerves. This approach preserves the normal shape of the vertebrae and avoids damage to the back muscles.
The height of the intervertebral disc is restored by placing a hollow cage, which is filled with your own bone (bone grafts) or a bone substitute. The cage is further secured with screws. In some cases, a plate is placed at the front of the vertebrae. After the procedure, it takes several months for the vertebrae to fuse together. This process is monitored using X-ray imaging.
You will find more information in the brochure below.
Recovery
After surgery, it is important to adopt varied postures. It is best not to do any back-straining activities. During your stay in the hospital you will be shown how to move around safely. Your attending physician will discuss with you which activities you should best not do and for how long. The start of muscle-strengthening physical therapy is also reviewed during this consultation.
Want to know more about your rehabilitation?
After orthopaedic surgery, you can follow a specialised rehabilitation program.
Departments
For more information, please visit the orthopaedics department.