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Colen
 
Surgical
 
Medi
‐
Card
 
What
 
is
 
a
 
Posterior
 
Lumbar
 
Interbody
 
Fusion
 
(PLIF)?
 
Posterior
 
Lumbar
 
Interbody
 
Fusion,
 
also
 
known
 
as
 
PLIF,
 
is
 
a
 
surgical
 
procedure
 
performed
 
through
 
the
 
back
 
(posterior
 
region)
 
of 
 
the
 
lower
 
back
 
in
 
which
 
two
 
or
 
more
 
lumbar
 
vertebrae
 
are
 
 joined
 
or
 
fused
 
together.
 
During
 
this
 
procedure
 
the
 
disc
 
in
 
between
 
two
 
vertebral
 
bod
‐
ies
 
is
 
removed
 
and
 
a
 
bone
 
graft
 
or
 
syn
‐
thetic
 
spacer
 
is
 
inserted
 
in
 
its
 
place.
 
The
 
goal
 
of 
 
the
 
procedure
 
is
 
to
 
stimu
‐
late
 
the
 
vertebrae
 
to
 
grow
 
together
 
into
 
one
 
solid
 
bone
 
(known
 
as
 
fusion),
 
(
Figures
 
1
 
and 
 
2)
.
 
There
 
are
 
2
 
types
 
of 
 
bony
 
grafts
 
that
 
may
 
be
 
used
 
in
 
this
 
procedure,
 
one
 
is
 
an
 
autograft
 
(bone
 
is
 
taken
 
from
 
the
 
patient’s
 
own
 
pelvic
 
bone)
 
or
 
an
 
al
‐
lograft
 
(bone
 
obtained
 
from
 
another
 
donor).
 
Once
 
the
 
appropriate
 
graft
 
is
 
chosen
 
it
 
is
 
then
 
packed
 
between
 
the
 
two
 
vertebrae
 
in
 
order
 
to
 
“fuse”
 
them
 
together,
 
providing
 
increased
 
spinal
 
stability.
 
This
 
bone
 
graft,
 
or
 
the
 
biome
‐
chanical
 
spacer
 
implant,
 
will
 
take
 
the
 
place
 
of 
 
the
 
intervertebral
 
disc,
 
which
 
is
 
entirely
 
removed
 
in
 
the
 
process.
 
What
 
are
 
the
 
indications?
 
When
 
is
 
it
 
used?
 
Patients
 
with
 
spinal
 
instability
 
or
 
chronic
 
back
 
pain
 
and/or
 
leg
 
pain
 
may
 
require
 
spinal
 
fusion
 
surgery.
 
PLIF
 
is
 
a
 
common
 
treatment
 
for
 
patient’s
 
suf 
‐
fering
 
with
 
chronic
 
low
 
back
 
pain
 
asso
‐
ciated
 
with
 
spinal
 
disorders
 
such
 
as
 
severe
 
disc
 
degeneration,
 
spinal
 
steno
‐
sis,
 
spondylolisthesis,
 
spinal
 
instability,
 
scoliosis,
 
or
 
spinal
 
fractures.
 
This
 
sur
‐
Figure
 
1:
 
Lumbar
 
bony
 
structures.
 
The
 
disc
 
(labeled
 
A)
 
is
 
removed
 
and
 
re
‐
placed
 
with
 
a
 
spacer
 
in
 
between
 
both
 
vertebral
 
bodies.
 
Figure
 
2:
 
Interbody
 
biomechanical
 
spacer.
 
This
 
synthetic
 
spacer
 
is
 
known
 
as
 
an
 
interbody 
 
biomechanical 
 
device
 
(labeled
 
B).
 
Many
 
types
 
of 
 
biomechani
‐
cal
 
spacers
 
are
 
available
 
on
 
the
 
market;
 
this
 
is
 
an
 
example
 
of 
 
one
 
that
 
your
 
physician
 
may
 
use.
 
dressings
 
that
 
cover
 
the
 
incision
 
may
 
be
 
removed
 
prior
 
to
 
discharge
 
from
 
the
 
hospital.
 
Some
 
incisions
 
are
 
held
 
closed
 
with
 
Steri
‐
Strips.
 
These
 
are
 
small
 
ad
‐
hesive
 
strips
 
that
 
are
 
made
 
to
 
peel
 
and
 
fall
 
on
 
their
 
own
 
as
 
the
 
incision
 
site
 
heals.
 
Normal
 
wound
 
care
 
during
 
the
 
post
‐
operative
 
period
 
requires
 
keeping
 
the
 
incisions
 
dry.
 
You
 
usually
 
are
 
able
 
to
 
shower,
 
but
 
should
 
avoid
 
“soaking
 
the
 
wound”
 
such
 
as
 
in
 
baths,
 
or
 
swimming
 
until
 
you
 
are
 
seen
 
by
 
your
 
physician
 
at
 
the
 
follow
‐
up
 
appointment.
 
Your
 
first
 
follow
 
appointment
 
is
 
usually
 
within
 
2
 
weeks.
 
Avoid
 
bending
 
or
 
twisting,
 
strenuous
 
activities,
 
or
 
driving
 
until
 
your
 
follow
‐
up
 
appointment.
 
Eat
 
healthy
 
foods,
 
especially
 
those
 
high
 
in
 
protein
 
unless
 
indicated
 
otherwise.
 
What
 
are
 
the
 
possible
 
complications?
 
•
Infection
 
(post
‐
op
 
infection
 
is
 
rare
 
but
 
may
 
become
 
a
 
serious
 
complication
 
if 
 
left
 
untreated)
 
•
Bleeding
 
•
Complications
 
 from
 
anesthesia
 
(the
 
anesthesiologist
 
will
 
discuss
 
this
 
with
 
you)
 
•
Continued 
 
 pain
 
•
Fusion
 
may 
 
not 
 
occur 
 
(higher
 
incidence
 
of 
 
non
‐
fusion
 
in
 
patients
 
who
 
smoke)
 
•
Hardware
 
(i.e.
 
screws,
 
plates
 
or
 
cages)
 
may
 
break
 
or
 
come
 
loose
 
•
Numbness
 
•
Nerve
 
damage
‐
surgery
 
that
 
is
 
done
 
near
 
the
 
spinal
 
canal
 
can
 
potentially
 
cause
 
injury
 
to
 
the
 
spinal
 
cord
 
or
 
spinal
 
nerves
 
•
Weakness
 
•
Thrombophlebitis
 
(a
 
condition
 
in
 
which
 
the
 
blood
 
in
 
the
 
large
 
veins
 
of 
 
the
 
leg
 
forms
 
blood
 
clots)
 
•
Death
 
*This
 
is
 
not
 
intended
 
to
 
be
 
a
 
complete
 
list
 
of 
 
all
 
possible
 
complications.
 
What
 
is
 
the
 
recovery
 
time?
 
Recovery
 
time
 
is
 
different
 
for
 
every
 
patient,
 
however,
 
most
 
patients
 
are
 
up
 
and
 
walking
 
by
 
the
 
end
 
of 
 
the
 
first
 
day
 
after
 
surgery.
 
Most
 
patients
 
can
 
expect
 
to
 
stay
 
in
 
the
 
hospital
 
for
 
1
‐
2
 
days
 
depending
 
on
 
their
 
condition.
 
Once
 
released
 
from
 
the
 
hospital,
 
patients
 
who
 
have
 
undergone
 
surgery
 
may
 
be
 
given
 
a
 
prescription
 
for
 
pain
 
medications
 
to
 
be
 
taken
 
as
 
needed,
 
as
 
well
 
as
 
a
 
detailed
 
post
‐
operative
 
ac
‐
tivity,
 
physical
 
therapy/exercise
 
plan
 
to
 
help
 
ease
 
recovery
 
and
 
return
 
to
 
a
 
healthy
 
life.
 
Patients
 
can
 
generally
 
resume
 
normal
 
activity
 
in
 
about
 
8
‐
12
 
weeks
 
after
 
surgery,
 
but
 
this
 
should
 
be
 
discussed
 
with
 
your
 
physician.
 
If 
 
you
 
require
 
outpatient
 
physi
‐
cal
 
therapy,
 
you
 
will
 
probably
 
need
 
to
 
attend
 
therapy
 
sessions
 
for
 
2
‐
4
 
weeks.
 
You
 
should
 
expect
 
full
 
recovery
 
to
 
take
 
up
 
to
 
3
 
months.
 
Figure
 
8.
 
Use
 
by
 
breathing
‐
in
 
deeply
 
and
 
measuring
 
the
 
volume
 
of 
 
air
 
your
 
lungs
 
can
 
hold.
 
Repeat
 
this
 
slowly,
 
10
 
times
 
every
 
hour.
 
Developed
 
by:
 
Colen
 
Publishing,
 
L.L.C.
 
Infinite
 
 possibilities
 
to
 
learning….
 
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Publishing
 
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Visit
 
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on
 
the
 
web
 
at:
 
www.colenpublishing.com.
 
Authors:
 
Chaim
 
B.
 
Colen,
 
M.D.,
 
PhD.
 
Roxanne
 
E.
 
Colen,
 
PA
‐
C
 
Illustrators:
 
Chaim
 
B.
 
Colen,
 
M.D.,
 
PhD.
 
William
 
Van
 
de
 
Putte
 
Faculty
 
Reviewer:
 
Setti
 
S.
 
Rengachary,
 
M.D.
 
Editorial
 
Formatting:
 
Kathryn
 
Schwartz
 
Chelsea
 
M.
 
Smialek
 
Katharine
 
Van
 
de
 
Putte
 
 ______________________________________________________________________
 
I
 
have
 
read
 
and
 
understood
 
the
 
content
 
presented
 
in
 
this
 
brochure.
 
All
 
my
 
questions
 
regarding
 
this
 
surgical
 
procedure
 
have
 
been
 
answered
 
satisfactorily.
 
 ______________________________________________________________________
 
PATIENT’S
 
SIGNATURE
 
DATE
 
Disclaimer:
 
The
 
content
 
presented
 
in
 
this
 
brochure
 
may
 
vary
 
slightly
 
from
 
the
 
actual
 
surgical
 
procedure.
 
 A 
 
B
 
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