Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) Surgery Near You in New Jersey

Patients struggling with chronic lower back pain can find relief through modern medical technologies. Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics (CNSO) is the most comprehensive spine surgery center in New Jersey. CNSO’s knowledgeable team includes neurosurgeons, orthopedic spine surgeons, reconstructive surgeons, interventional pain management physicians, physiatrists, rehabilitation specialists, and certified physical therapists. These experts work together to help patients recover from pain using cutting-edge spine treatments like posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery.

PLIF Surgery at a Glance

• PLIF surgery is a spinal fusion procedure to treat pain in the lower back. It accesses the spine from the back of the body.
• Patients may need a PLIF surgery if their pain is caused by spinal instability due to arthritis, scoliosis, revision spine surgery, a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, or a spinal deformity.
• PLIF surgery eliminates movement between vertebrae to permanently relieve pain caused by spinal instability and nerve impingement.
• Patients who are experiencing lower back pain should speak with a surgeon at CNSO to find out whether PLIF surgery is right for them.

What Is PLIF Surgery?

Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) is the standard approach for lower back (lumbar) fusion surgery. Spinal deformities, age-related degeneration, and other spinal conditions can reduce the spine’s structural integrity, making it too diseased to move or support weight comfortably. Fusion surgery replaces these diseased components with a bone graft. Over time, the graft fuses vertebrae together into a single, solid bone. The fused bone is strong enough to support the body’s weight without pain.

There are many approaches to spinal fusion. PLIF stands for posterior lumbar interbody fusion, which means the surgeon accesses the spine from the posterior, or the back, of the body. This approach is the simplest method for lumbar spinal fusion, making it one of the first options that surgeons consider when planning a patient’s treatment.

Who Is a Good Candidate for PLIF Surgery?

Spinal fusion procedures like PLIF are used to treat structural problems in the spine. By fusing two or more vertebrae together, PLIF stabilizes the spine to eliminate pain and nerve impingement. Several different conditions can be treated in this way, including:

• Arthritis: Over a patient’s lifetime, the cartilage in their spine begins to break down. This degeneration causes pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility.
• Spinal fractures: Vertebrae can fracture in a fall, vehicle accident, or other injury, especially when they are weakened by a degenerative condition.
• Herniated disc: When a spinal disc becomes ruptured, its soft center may leak into the spinal canal, where it puts pressure on the spinal cord.
• Degenerative disc disease: Spinal discs may also be impacted by age-related degeneration that causes them to become brittle, reducing spinal mobility.
• Spinal deformity: Scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, and other spinal deformities can cause pain, nerve compression, reduced mobility, and balance issues.

CNSO takes a conservative approach to care that uses surgery only when necessary. Most patients begin with conservative pain management methods, including medications, joint injections, and physical therapy. These treatments do not address the cause of the discomfort, however, and they may become less effective over time. When conservative methods fail to provide relief, CNSO evaluates the patient’s pain, imaging results, and medical history to determine whether PLIF should be the next step.

What to Expect from PLIF Surgery

PLIF surgery is performed under general anesthesia, keeping the patient asleep while the neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine surgeon is at work. Once the anesthesia has taken effect, the surgeon performs the following steps:

1. The surgeon makes an incision along the midline of the patient’s back. The incision is usually less than three centimeters long, but may be longer if multiple levels of the spine will be addressed.
2. The surgeon performs a laminectomy, removing the lamina or the back portion of the vertebrae to create unrestricted access to the spinal disc.
3. The surgeon also performs a facetectomy to reshape the facet joints, creating more space around the nerve roots.
4. The surgeon removes the damaged spinal disc carefully.
5. The surgeon screws spacers to the vertebrae and connects them with metal rods. This locks the vertebrae in place to restore structural integrity.
6. The surgeon inserts bone graft material into the gap between vertebrae. Graft material may be sourced from the patient’s body or a donor bank.
7. The surgeon closes the incision and covers it with a surgical dressing.

The procedure may take anywhere from two to six hours to complete, depending on how many levels of the spine are addressed. Afterward, the patient is taken to a recovery room. Nurses monitor their condition while they wake up from anesthesia. Most patients go home on the same day as the surgery, while others stay in the hospital for at least one day. Once they are ready to go home, recovery instructions may include:

• Keeping the incision clean and covered
• Avoiding bending, twisting, and heavy lifting
• Managing post-surgical pain with medication
• Doing simple exercises to promote blood flow
• Monitoring the site for signs of infection

Some patients experience relief immediately after their procedure. Others may need time to rest before they notice improvement. After a few weeks of recovery, physical therapy is recommended to help the patient rebuild strength and flexibility. Most patients can return to work two weeks after surgery. Normal activities can be resumed a few months after surgery. The bone graft may take up to a year to fully fuse, so patients should avoid heavy lifting until approved by their physician.

PLIF Surgery Outcomes and Benefits

Spinal fusion surgery permanently reduces mobility in the lower back. By doing so, however, the procedure also eliminates pain. PLIF restores disc height, relieves nerve compression, improves alignment, and restores stability to reduce discomfort. Patients often find that their overall mobility is improved. They sleep better, rely less on medications, and have a higher quality of life after surgery.

Find PLIF Surgery Near You in New Jersey

When spine pain seems inescapable, PLIF surgery can provide relief. Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics specializes in providing advanced spine procedures, including PLIF, minimally invasive spine surgery, endoscopic surgery, and robotic spine surgery, in northern New Jersey. Its experienced team treats patients at convenient locations near you across Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Morris, Union, Middlesex, and Hudson counties. Contact CNSO today to schedule a consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions About PLIF Surgery

What symptoms indicate the need for PLIF surgery?

Some symptoms that indicate the need for PLIF surgery include:

• Chronic back pain that does not resolve with conservative treatments
• Back pain that radiates down the legs (sciatica)
• Tingling or numbness in the legs
• Muscle weakness
• Trouble walking

What is the success rate of PLIF surgery?

Modern techniques and technologies have improved the outcomes of PLIF surgery, giving it an almost 100% success rate.

How long is the recovery time after PLIF surgery?

Patients can return to work two weeks after PLIF surgery, though full recovery may take several months. Full spinal fusion can take a year or more.

Will PLIF surgery limit my mobility?

PLIF surgery minimally limits the patient’s mobility if only one level is fused, but provides the benefits of immediate and long-lasting pain relief, regardless of the number of levels of the spine that require the fusion.

What is the difference between PLIF and other spinal fusion surgeries?

PLIF surgery accesses the spine from the back of the body. This is the simplest approach, though it requires a longer recovery than some other spinal fusion techniques.

Can I avoid PLIF surgery with conservative treatments?

Some patients can find sufficient relief with conservative treatments. These methods do not address the cause of pain but only help to reduce the symptoms. Over time, they may become less effective at managing pain. PLIF surgery, meanwhile, addresses the cause of pain to provide permanent relief.