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Back and leg pain can affect people at any age and can develop for various reasons.
Dr. Paul Fuchs is an orthopedic surgeon. He says, “There are all different types
of spinal diagnoses and they affect different age groups. Some spine problems you
see in 20 and 30 year olds, some you see in 50 and 60 year olds, some you see in
70 and 80 year olds, so you really customize the procedure to the patient.”
In recent years one procedure has proved successful with many of Dr. Fuchs’ patients.
It is called the X-LIF. “Normally when we did spine procedures in the past larger
incisions were necessary and now with the X-treme Lateral Interbody Fusion we can
do it through a very small tube, a very small retractor, several millimeters.”
The X-LIF is unique in that it approaches spinal surgery from the side instead of
the back or the front. Dr. Fuchs says
this approach can have many benefits. “We
can correct deformities and actually correct pressures off the nerve. It improves
back pain; it can improve neurologic problems that the patients have. It’s an opportunity
to approach the spine minimally invasive. There’s less bleeding traditionally, there’s
less operative time, less hospital time and a quicker recovery,” says Dr. Fuchs.
The X-LIF procedure is not designed to treat run of the mill back pain. Instead
it is best used to treat patients who have injured discs, a large curve of the spine
or spinal instability.
Dr. Fuchs teaches other surgeons around the country how to perform the X-LIF procedure.
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