[Fat Bear Science] "Good news" for patients with lumbar spine diseases! Chongqing University Cancer Hospital successfully performed lateral approach lumbar fusion surgery

Aunt Zhang, 56, has been suffering from back pain for the past three years, trying various methods of pain relief, including massage therapy, topical pain-relieving ointment, and oral pain-relieving drugs, but to no avail. A month ago, the back pain was so unbearable that it seriously affected her quality of life.

Accompanied by her family, Aunt Zhang came to the Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors of the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Chongqing University for treatment. After examination and combined with imaging findings, Aunt Zhang was diagnosed with "lumbar spondylolisthesis", a common orthopedic disease that refers to the dislocation of the vertebral bodies of the lumbar spine. It is more common in middle-aged and elderly people, especially women over 50 years old. Mild spondylolisthesis can be relieved through physical therapy and back muscle training, but severe spondylolisthesis or long-term symptoms require surgical treatment, otherwise it will cause foot drop, urinary and bowel disorders, and worsening nerve damage.

Expert Profile

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Chen Liang

Director of the Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, chief physician, doctor of medicine, and master's supervisor.

He is one of the first batch of Chongqing young and middle-aged medical high-end reserve talents and Chongqing academic and technical leader reserve talents. He has won the second prize of Chongqing Science and Technology Progress, the second prize of Sichuan Medical Science and Technology Award, and the second prize of Chinese Medical Association Science and Technology Progress. He has visited and trained in many professional medical institutions such as the University of Chicago Medical Center, Oberlinhaus Orthopedic Hospital in Germany, Atlantic Spine Center in the United States, and Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong, and has rich clinical work experience.

Clinic hours: Wednesday morning

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Ren Qiang

Attending physician.

He has rich clinical experience in degenerative spinal diseases such as cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, bone and soft tissue tumors, and limb fractures, and is good at minimally invasive treatment of degenerative spinal diseases and spinal tumors.

Clinic hours: Wednesday afternoon

Aunt Zhang's condition is quite serious and she must undergo surgery to relieve the pain. The conventional method is open surgery, but open surgery has the problem of large wounds and long recovery time after surgery. Aunt Zhang is particularly sensitive to pain. Therefore, she is full of fear of surgery and is also worried that she will be paralyzed after the surgery.

After understanding Aunt Zhang's situation, Director Chen Liang of the Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors immediately organized a team discussion and finally decided to perform lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) for Aunt Zhang. This technique is a minimally invasive surgery with the characteristics of less trauma, less blood loss, and fast speed. After the operation, she can quickly return to normal life and work, which is also the biggest reason why Aunt Zhang agreed to have this operation.

After sufficient preoperative communication and preparation, Director Chen Liang and his team successfully performed a lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) operation for Aunt Zhang. The operation went very smoothly, with an incision size of 5 cm, an operation time of 2 hours, and only 10 ml of intraoperative bleeding. Her low back pain symptoms were also greatly relieved after the operation.

The surgery pictures may cause discomfort, please click carefully

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"I was very afraid of pain before, so I didn't dare to come to the hospital for surgery. But this time, I didn't feel any pain during the operation. My wound was also very small, and I recovered quickly afterwards. I am very satisfied with the effect." Aunt Zhang said happily.

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Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF)

Good news for patients with lumbar spine diseases

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With the aging of the population, lumbar diseases have increasingly become the focus of spinal surgeons. Common diseases include degenerative spinal diseases, spinal deformities, tumors, lumbar infections, and lumbar trauma, which may cause low back pain, lower limb pain, lower limb motor and sensory dysfunction, and even paralysis. At present, the main surgical method for solving such diseases in conventional hospitals is posterior open fusion surgery, which has the characteristics of large wound surface, many complications, and long recovery time for patients after surgery.

Later, with the advancement of technology, various lumbar interbody fusion techniques have emerged. Lateral approach spinal surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that exposes the spine through an incision on the side of the body. This procedure avoids the need to separate the muscles of the waist, cut the bones, or retract the blood vessels as other spinal fusion techniques do. Lateral approach spinal surgery can be used to treat many diseases, such as herniated discs, scoliosis, and spinal tumors.

Lateral lumbar interbody fusion has minimal damage to surrounding tissues and is conducive to a quick return to normal activities. Compared with other fusion techniques, the operation is quick, the anesthesia time is short, the blood loss is small, the speed is fast, and the effect is good. Some patients can be discharged from the hospital on the day of the operation, and most can resume normal activities about 3 months after the operation. In addition, lateral lumbar interbody fusion is a very mature technology with high surgical safety, which means that patients do not have to worry about paralysis. Therefore, the promotion of this technology has brought good news to patients with lumbar diseases.

Text/Fat Bear Photos/Partially from the Internet (Please contact us to delete if there is any infringement) Review/Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors

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