Sacroiliac Joint Fusion
What is a Minimally Invasive SI Joint Fusion?
These days much more attention is being paid to the role that the sacroiliac joints play in lower back pain. Traditionally, these joints were difficult to pinpoint and identify as the source of pain, but advanced imaging and exploratory techniques have led to more awareness of these important and stabilizing joints. The SI joint connects our spine to our hips and helps us in important daily activities like walking and sitting.
When these joints start to degenerate, or become unaligned as a result of injury or chronic use, they can produce anywhere from dull to stabbing pain. This discomfort is most commonly felt in either of the hips or the tailbone region. Subsequent pain can also radiate down the backs of the thighs, or in extreme cases, numbness and tingling may be present. These destabilized joints compress nerves, stress the adjacent ligaments and muscles, and can even result in bone-on-bone friction and inflammation.
A minimally invasive SI joint fusion may be necessary to stabilize these joints and provide relief from chronic pain. During this procedure, your physician will make small incisions in the back to access the inflamed sacroiliac joint. The first step in the procedure involves relieving pressure on the compressed nerves and joints. Following this decompression, your physician will immediately insert and attach small screws and rods to rejoin the bones and reduce any unnecessary or pain-inducing movement in the joint.
Dr. Frazier of NYC Spine has been practicing for over 20 years and will work with you individually to determine if an SI joint fusion is the right treatment for you. If all other treatments for your pain have failed, you can trust Dr. Frazier’s 20 years of knowledge and expertise to guide you in the right direction.
What are the Benefits of a Minimally Invasive SI Joint Fusion?
There are many benefits to the use of minimally invasive techniques. This is especially true with the sacroiliac joint as it is nestled deeply inside the body, under layers of muscle, tendons, and ligaments. The less disruption there is to these other tissues of the body, the better your postoperative outcomes will be. Some of the benefits of a minimally invasive SI joint fusion include:
- Small incision: A small 2 to 3-inch incision is often enough for your physician to access the sacroiliac joint. Smaller incisions lead to less scarring and a faster healing time.
- Shorter stay in the hospital: Minimally invasive means less time in surgery and less time spent in the hospital. Some individuals may even be able to go home the same day as surgery.
- Shorter recovery time: With smaller incisions and a shorter procedure also comes less blood loss, scarring, and pain. With less disruption to the body, you can recover even quicker.
Using his knowledge of the top, most advanced techniques, Dr. Frazier can help you to find relief from your SI joint pain. Although Dr. Frazier only recommends surgery as a last resort, he is ready to use his world-renowned surgical skills when needed. Contact NYC Spine today to schedule your first meeting with Dr. Frazier!
Do I qualify for a Minimally Invasive SI Joint Fusion?
Anyone who is experiencing debilitating pain as a result of SI joint instability, compression, and inflammation may be eligible for this minimally invasive surgical procedure. However, there are some conditions to consider before jumping right into surgery. The first step is to get a concrete diagnosis of SI Joint Disorder from a physician. Because the SI joint is buried so deeply within the body—and the symptoms can be similar to other spinal conditions—an accurate diagnosis is necessary in planning the right treatment.
If you have received a definite diagnosis of SI joint disorder, then surgery might be on your mind. However, in order to qualify for a minimally invasive SI Joint fusion, it is suggested that one has exhausted all other possible modes of treatment. If pain management techniques, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, joint injections and nerve ablations did not work for you, then SI joint fusion surgery may be your resounding key to relief.
There are certain conditions, however, that may bar one from undergoing a SI joint fusion. If you have certain spinal deformities, infections, or inflammation near the proposed site of operation or have already undergone a tumor resection or failed SI joint procedure, then this fusion is not recommended for you. Certain individuals may also have allergies to the internal hardware that is used to provide long-term stabilization to the joints. In these instances, certain modifications can be made to render the procedure safe for a subset of individuals. For other patients, this may not be the case.
Regardless of your situation, one reality holds true: SI joint pain can severely disrupt one’s daily life. Dr. Frazier fully understands this, and can work with you to evaluate your treatment options and whether surgery is right for you. You can trust that Dr. Frazier, along with his dedicated team at NYC Spine, can put you back on the path to relief.
Meet Dr. Daveed Frazier
Dr. Frazier is a Harvard-trained, board certified orthopedic spine surgeon. He’s held an academic appointment at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York’s SUNY Downstate. Dr. Frazier is also a respected lecturer, accomplished researcher, published author on spine disorders and treatment, and a consultant for several international spine companies.
After completing his undergraduate education at Brown University, Dr. Frazier attended Harvard Medical School, where he graduated cum laude. He completed a Harvard internship based at the New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, MA, followed by a Harvard combined residency before becoming chief resident at Massachusetts General Hospital.