TLIF Surgery Cost in India

What is TLIF surgery?

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is a surgical procedure which is generally used to treat spinal disc problems which are causing back and leg pain. In this procedure, an intervertebral disc is removed and two or more bones in the anterior and posterior spinal columns are fused together using screws and a cage.

The surgeon accesses the spine through small incisions made near the centre of the back and places a bone graft along with an interbody spacer (a supportive device or cage placed between the vertebral bones to retain intervertebral height). TLIF is a type of spinal fusion surgery that typically involves:

• Removing the bone spurs (outgrowth of the bone in the spine) and ligaments to decompress the nerves in lower back
• Removing the problematic intervertebral disc
• Filling the space with a spacer bone graft (interbody fusion) – this helps restore the height between the bones and relieves pinched nerves
• Stabilizing the disc level by placing screws (pedicle screws) into the bones above and below the disc – this also helps strengthen the graft.

Fusion can be one-level (joins two bones) or multi-level (joins three bones) depending on the symptoms. As the person heals, the bone grows around the graft and fuses the two vertebrae in the spinal column into one piece of bone.

This effectively stops all the motion in the painful area of the spine, improving overall function and allows the person to have a more normal lifestyle. Although flexibility is decreased after TLIF, it doesn’t significantly affect most people.

How is the recovery after TLIF surgery?

The patient is shifted to a recovery room after the surgery where the doctors and nurses will monitor the heart and other vital body functions. The patient may stay in the hospital for 2 to 4 days depending on their age, severity of damage to the spine and the extent of surgery.

The patient is generally encouraged to get out of the bed and move around the next day, as soon as they feel better. After discharge, the patient will need to follow all instructions and precautions given by the doctor. The physical therapy program will continue after getting home to help strengthen the muscles.

The patient may have to wear a special brace for 3 months following the surgery while sitting, standing or walking. It is advised to take it easy for 8 weeks and avoid any strenuous activities, but walk for at least an hour every day. It is also recommended to not sit at a place for more than 15-20 minutes continuously during this period.

The recovery time varies for every individual but it usually takes around 3 months or more to heal from the surgery. However, this amount of time is different for every patient and depends on multiple factors such as their healing speed, technique used for surgery and overall health of the patient.

The bone graft or substitute that is placed in the spine during the surgery facilitates bone growth between the two adjacent vertebrae to fuse into one bone. This process usually takes about 3 to 6 months. The bone continues to facilitate growth and solidify over the 12 to 18 months post surgery. Most people return to normal activities including the more physical ones such as weightlifting in about 6 months after the surgery.