01 — Overview
Approaching from the front allows the disc to be removed completely and a large implant placed on the strong part of the vertebral endplate. This helps restore disc height and lumbar lordosis, which is why the approach is often used in correcting flatback and loss of alignment. It is a retroperitoneal approach past the great vessels, usually performed with an access surgeon.
02 — Who it suits
- Loss of lumbar lordosis and forward imbalance
- Degenerative disease at the lower lumbar levels
- Revision cases where the back has already been operated on
- Cases where restoring disc height helps open the nerve canals indirectly
03 — How it is done
Through a small transverse incision the retroperitoneal plane is developed and the vessels mobilized to expose the disc. The disc is removed, the endplates prepared, and a lordotic cage with graft is placed. Fixation may be integrated into the cage or added from behind.
04 — Recovery
Some abdominal discomfort in the first days is expected. As with any fusion, activity is restricted while the fusion consolidates, and the length of that period depends on the number of levels and on the individual patient.
05 — Conditions treated
- Degenerative Disc Disease A condition where the spinal discs wear down over time, leading to pain, stiffness, and potential nerve compression.
- Lumbar Disc Disease Degeneration or herniation of discs in the lower back, leading to pain, numbness, or weakness in the legs due to nerve compression.
- Spondylolisthesis & Spinal Instability A condition where a vertebra slips out of place onto the bone below it, causing pain and nerve compression.
- Persistent Pain After Spine Surgery Persistent or recurrent pain following spine surgery, often due to incomplete resolution of the initial condition or new complications.
Timelines and techniques described here are general. Your own plan depends on your anatomy, your imaging and your medical history, and is decided with you at consultation.
