Posted: 11/22/06 - 00:00 Post subject: Fusion Failure
In soon future, I should undergo spine fusion surgery. My doctor recommended this procedure because of my constant back pain. I talked with him about some risks, and most common is that segments don’t fuse. Are there any other fusion failure risk?
Spinal fusion surgery is in most cases a safe surgery. Nevertheless, there are potential Fusion Failure problems. Spinal fusion surgery is procedure to link two or more vertebrae. Usually there is some kind of problem with disc, which is actually allowing us to bend. Therefore, your surgeon will link vertebrae by stimulating bone growth, and maybe by inserting metal to hold vertebrae fixed. One of the most common Fusion Failure problem is stimulating bone growth. There are several different ways to do that. Also a problem can occur years after surgery, because healthy spinal bone near fixation is under stress. And the most important Fusion Failure problem comes from smoking. Smoking makes difficulties in new bone formation, and that is a proven fact, so if you are a smoker you must stop smoking. The risk of Fusion Failure goes up to 100% in smokers.
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