Term
| Where will the surgeon get the homograft for the fusion? |
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Definition
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Term
| How does the surgeon remove the fibrous annulum? |
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Definition
| Typically with an 11 or 15 blade. |
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Term
| What type of incision is used to access the vertebrae? |
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Definition
| A transverse incision along langeur lines is preferable. |
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Term
| Will the surgeon take intraoperative x-rays? |
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Definition
| Yes, the surgeon will take at least 3 intraoperative x-rays and more if they will fuse more than one level. |
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Term
| From what direction will the first x-ray be taken? |
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Definition
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Term
| Rather than a vertebral spreader what might the surgeon use? |
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Definition
| Two distracting pins and a distractor to reposition the vertebrae into the correct anatomical position. |
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Term
| How is the disc material removed from in between the vertbral bodies? |
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Definition
| Curettes and rongeurs angled and straight are used. |
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Term
| When will the DGMTS acronym become useful in this surgery? |
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Definition
| Placing of the plate after the diskectomy and graft. |
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Term
| Instead of a graft what else might the surgeon use to facilitate fusion? |
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Definition
| The surgeon will use a bone cage and donor bone or hydroxyapatite. |
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Term
| How long will the fusion of the vertbral bodies take? |
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Definition
| After the surgery the fusion may be complete within as little as 2 months or take as long as 1 year. |
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Term
| Before closing what will the surgeon do? |
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Definition
| Irrigate and confirm hemostasis. |
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Term
| What is the pathology that necessitates this surgery? |
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Definition
| An injury to the spine crushing the disc, herniating it into the spinal column. |
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Term
| How soon after the surgery is the patient expected to recover? |
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Definition
| Recovery at the hospital may be as little as a few hours that same day to an overnight stay and as long as a few days. |
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Term
| What happens during fusion? |
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Definition
| The two vertebral bodies will grow bone inbetween connecting them removing the articulation and creating one bone. |
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Term
| What advantage is there to an anterior approach? |
|
Definition
| To remove disc material there is no need to remove lamina |
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Term
| What challenges are there to an anterior approach? |
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Definition
| There is a lot of anatomy that must be preserved and retracted in order to get to the vertebrae at the posterior chamber of the neck. |
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