Surgical Spine Procedures

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) surgery is designed to stabilize a patient’s spine and reduce back and leg pain. In many cases, spinal fusion procedures can be performed using a minimally invasive approach with sophisticated surgical tools and techniques. However, open ALIF surgery may be necessary to treat patients who have undergone multiple treatments or require revision surgery. To learn more about undergoing anterior lumbar interbody fusion treatment, contact the practice of Dr. Luis Manuel Tumialán in Phoenix, AZ, today.

Dr. Luis Manuel Tumialán can provide pain relief and improved range of motion with lumbar artificial disc placement surgery. During this procedure. Dr. Tumialán creates an abdominal incision to access the anterior spine, where he removes the damaged disc and replaces...

A cervical artificial disc, like a lumbar artificial disc, replaces a degenerated or herniated spinal disc, but in the cervical (upper) spine. Damaged cervical discs can limit mobility and place pressure on nearby nerves, resulting in pain, weakness, and other symptoms. Cervical artificial discs function much like the plate and rod system used to fuse two vertebrae together in an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Disc replacement is preferable to achieve vertebrae fusion in younger patients.

Lumbar spinal fusion is used to correct problems in the anatomy of the back by removing a damaged disc and inserting a bone graft as part of fusing two vertebrae together. Whereas a traditional lumbar spinal fusion accesses the surgical area via an incision in the abdomen, back, or both, a direct lateral interbody fusion utilizes a much less invasive method by making one small incision in the side of the body. This provides far less discomfort and recovery time for the patient, and the ease of not having to dodge organs and blood vessels to access the surgical area for the doctor.​​​​​​​

There are several discs in the human spine, between each vertebrae, that provide shock absorption and and cushion. Over time and due to a large number of factors, the discs can become worn and are prone to injury. Dr. Tumialán can perform highly advanced spinal...