Lumbar Fusion Surgery in Turkey

About Lumbar Fusion Surgery in Turkey

Lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey is a type of treatment performed to relieve chronic low back pain and spinal disorders. Chronic lower back pain is an extremely common medical problem across the world. In a study performed to determine the global prevalence of this health concern, approximately 20% of individuals aged 20 to 59 were found to experience chronic low back pain. Given the high prevalence of persistent low back pain among the adult population, various treatment procedures have gained recognition in recent years. Therefore, anyone who’s had chronic lower back pain has likely heard the term “lumbar fusion”.

Lumbar fusion is a procedure used to treat an array of spine-related conditions by permanently joining two or more vertebrae in the lumbar (lower back) area of the spine. This surgery might be used to treat an injury, disc degeneration, or painful motion of the vertebrae, or to correct a deformity. In addition, lumber fusion surgery consists of stimulating the bone growth so that it grows and fusing two vertebrae so that they stop moving. Generally, bone substitutes are used to promote the creation of bone cement.

Lumbar fusion surgery (also known as arthrodesis) is the most commonly used technique in spine surgery and consists of creating a bone weld between 2 vertebrae so that they stop moving. To achieve a good weld, there must be no movement, the absence of movement allows bone growth, which is achieved through the use of the famous screws, rods, and interbody equipment (boxes that are placed between the vertebrae to increase decisiveness and promote fusion).

Turkey is nationally and internationally recognized for excellence in lumbar fusion surgery procedures. As Healthy Türkiye, we offer a full spectrum of orthopedic and neurosurgical care and the latest approaches to spine surgery procedures. Best of all, you’ll appreciate convenient appointment times, locations near you, and a personalized focus to meet your needs before, during, and after your lumber fusion surgery.

What Is Lumbar Fusion Surgery in Turkey?

Lumbar fusion surgery is a treatment procedure performed to immobilize two adjacent vertebrae or a number of vertebrae in the lower back part of the spine. It might be performed to relieve back pain and stabilize the spine. Also, it might be performed to restore a more normal shape to the spine. Fusion identifies the growth of new bone between two (or more) adjacent vertebral bodies. Graft materials help to stimulate and promote this growth, acting as scaffolding across the disc area from one vertebral body to the next, thereby fusing the two vertebrae and immobilizing the spine at that segment.

A variety of bone growth-promoting supplies are available to help accelerate the fusion process. In the past, bone harvested from another portion of the patient’s body was used. With the advances in technology over the past ten years, there are many products that are now used to decrease the need of using the patient’s own bone. Generally, surgical hardware is implanted into the spine to help immobilize the segments while the bone is fusing, which can take six months to a year to occur.

When performing a lumbar spinal fusion, your specialist in Turkey might apply an anterior interbody lateral fusion, a posterior approach, a combination of the two approaches, or a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) approach. Lateral and posterior approaches might also be performed using a minimally invasive surgery (MIS) technique in which your specialist makes 2 small incisions instead of one large incision. This enables the surgery to be potentially conducted in less time, and with less trauma and pain than traditional surgical approaches.

Why Is Lumbar Fusion Surgery Performed?

Cases including spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and degenerative disc disease can develop as a result of traumatic injuries or natural age-related degeneration. These spinal conditions can cause symptoms involving tingling, numbness, pain, restricted mobility, and even paralysis. The lower back is more sensitive to injury and degeneration because it’s subjected to bending, twisting, and other physical stresses throughout a lifetime. Poor posture can exacerbate the problem by misaligning the spine, which puts additional stress on the lower back.

Physical therapy, medication, and/or steroid injections can relieve many of the symptoms of these spinal disorders. However, when these treatments are not effective, a spinal decompression procedure may be recommended by a specialist in Turkey to relieve pressure on these nerves. In short, lumbar fusion might be performed for common spinal problems in patients who don’t respond to six months or more of conservative treatment.

Who Needs Lumbar Fusion Surgery in Turkey

Any patient with chronic pain due to spondylosis, scoliosis, fracture, or disc degeneration can benefit from lumbar fusion surgery. Once conservative treatment has been attempted, the patient and specialist assess whether stretching and strengthening exercises will solve the problem without surgery. If these conservative treatments are insufficient and the patient needs relief from the debilitating arm or leg pain, a spinal decompression, and lumbar fusion procedure might be recommended. Lumbar fusion surgery is generally only performed in the setting of instability or deformity.

Lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey is an option if:

Painkillers, rest, exercises, and injections do not help

There is a likelihood of serious complications including the nerves if left untreated

When the pain in the back, hips, buttocks, and legs is having a profound impact on your quality of life

The goal of lumbar fusion surgery is to reduce the pain in the lower back and legs.

When Is Lumbar Fusion Performed in Turkey?

Lumbar fusion surgery should be performed when we have vertebral instability, vertebral degeneration is very critical, and/or low back pain is one of the predominant symptoms. Specialists in Turkey refer to vertebral instability when there is excessive movement between the vertebrae, sometimes the instability is prior to surgery as in spondylolisthesis.

Sometimes, when a nerve decompression is performed, specialists have to remove too many bone structures to access the lumbar canal and decompress the nerve roots, so they generate post-laminectomy instability and it is necessary to fuse the vertebrae. There are other occasions when there is very advanced disc degeneration or very critical osteoarthritis in the joints that join the vertebrae. In these conditions, arthrodesis is performed if low back pain is significant.

Prepare for Lumbar Fusion Surgery in Turkey

The week before your lumbar surgery in Turkey, you will have some blood tests and spinal X-rays if you haven’t had any recently. Your specialist might wish to go through the main points of your procedure. Do not be afraid to raise questions if you do not understand anything. Your expert doctor needs you to be ready. Here are some things to do before your lumbar fusion surgery:

You will require someone to drive you and take you home. At this stage, your personal assistant provided by Healthy Türkiye will help you with your transportation.

Get an inventory of the medications you’ll be able to or can’t absorb the times before surgery. Some drugs, like painkillers or different medicines.

Find out if you’ll be able to eat or drink something before your lumbar fusion surgery.

Lumbar fusion surgery can be carried out with an anterior (from the front) or a posterior (from the back) approach. Your surgeon will determine which approach is the best technique for you. An anterior approach does carry a slightly higher risk of complication, but usually gives a better result and quicker healing time. Both procedures are performed under general anesthesia and can sometimes be done as day surgery, but generally require a one-night stay in the hospital.

How Is Lumbar Fusion Surgery Performed in Turkey?

Lumbar fusion is a major surgery that can last for three hours or more while the patient is under general anesthesia. Your expert surgery team in Turkey will start by preparing a bone graft for the fusion. If the graft comes from your own body, it is generally removed from the pelvis through a small incision, which is then stitched up.

The lumbar fusion surgery procedure can be performed in several ways:

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF)

The posterior approach to lumbar fusion surgery is done from your back. This approach can be just a fusion of the vertebral bones or it can involve the removal of the problem disc. If the disc is extracted, it is replaced with a bone graft. Your specialist will move your spinal nerves to one side and insert the bone graft between the vertebral bodies. This is a posterior lumbar interbody fusion.

With a posterior approach, an incision is made in the middle of your lower back over the part of your spine that is going to be fused. Your muscles will be moved to the side so your specialist can see the back surface of your vertebrae. Once your spine is visible, the lamina of the vertebra is extracted to take pressure off the dura and nerve roots. This allows your specialist to see sites of pressure on your nerve roots caused by bone spurs, a bulging disc, or thickening of the ligaments. Your specialist can extract or trim these structures to relieve the pressure on your nerves. Once your specialist is satisfied that all pressure has been removed from your nerves, a fusion is performed. When operating from the backside of your spine, the most common technique for performing a spinal fusion is to place strips of bone graft over the back surface of your vertebrae.

Combined Lumbar Fusion

Working between the vertebrae from the back has restrictions. Your specialist is limited by the fact that your spinal nerves are constantly in the way. These nerves can just be moved a slight amount to either side. This limits your specialist’s ability to see the area. There is also limited room to use instruments and place implants. For these reasons, many specialists prefer to make a separate incision in your abdomen and actually perform two operations–one from the front of your spine and one from the back. The two operations are generally performed at the same time, but they might be done several days apart.

Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion is an adaptation of a posterior lumbar interbody fusion. There are several potential advantages of TLIF over the standard posterior approach. The procedure can allow your specialist to fuse both the anterior and posterior portions of your spine through a single posterior surgical approach.

TLIF increases the chance of a successful fusion due to the larger site for bone graft placement. A bone graft can be placed both in the site behind the vertebrae, to the side of the vertebrae, and in the disc space between the vertebrae. Because the approach to your disc space and spinal canal with TLIF is from your side, this allows your specialist to perform the operation with minimal stretching of your nerve roots.

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion uses a special spacer that is placed between your vertebrae to help restore the space between the vertebrae (the disc space). This might help reduce irritation and pressure on your nerve roots from bone spurs and thickened ligaments that can be a source of leg pain.

Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)

The anterior interbody approach allows your specialist to remove the intervertebral disc from the front and place a bone graft between the vertebrae. This lumbar fusion surgical operation is generally done by making an incision in your abdomen just above your pelvic bone. The organs in your abdomen, such as your intestines, kidneys, and blood vessels, are moved to the side to allow your specialist to see the front of your spine. Your expert then locates the problem disc and removes it. A bone graft is placed in the area between your vertebrae where the disc has been extracted.

Applying an LLIF approach, the specialist makes a small incision in the flank below the ribs. This approach allows the specialist to remove the disc between the vertebrae with minimal risk to the nerves. A graft is then added between the two vertebrae. Metal plates or other hardware might also be attached to keep the vertebrae in place during the healing process.

In many conditions, your specialist might be able to perform any of these lumbar fusions through a minimally invasive procedure instead of traditional open surgery. This approach uses specialized instruments inserted through multiple tiny incisions to reduce the surgery’s impact on nearby tissue and promote a faster recovery time.

After Lumbar Fusion Surgery in Turkey

Patients are usually discharged from the hospital one to four days following lumbar fusion surgery. Patients might be instructed to wear a back brace post-op. It will be suggested that you avoid bending, twisting, or lifting for several months. This is a requirement to allow the fusion to properly heal.

Patients may experience back pain and spasms following lumbar fusion surgery, but this should improve in the first week or two after the procedure. Patients should keep their back incisions dry until they are seen in the office, often seven to ten days after surgery. Back to work will be addressed on an individual basis depending upon the requirements of the patients’ work duties.

2024 Cost of Lumbar Fusion Surgery in Turkey

All types of medical attention, like lumbar fusion surgery, are very affordable in Turkey. Many factors are also included in determining the cost of lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey. Your process with Healthy Türkiye will last from the time you decide to have lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey until the time you are fully recovered, even if you are back home. The exact cost of lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey depends on the type of operation involved.

The cost of lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey does not demonstrate many variations in 2024. Compared to costs in developed countries like the United States or the UK, lumbar fusion surgery costs in Turkey are relatively low. So, it’s no wonder patients from across the world visit Turkey for lumbar fusion surgery procedures. However, price is not the only factor affecting choices. We suggest looking for hospitals that are safe and have lumbar fusion surgery reviews on Google. When people decide to seek medical help for lumbar fusion surgery, they will not only have had low-cost procedures in Turkey, but also the safest and best treatment.

At clinics or hospitals contracted with Healthy Türkiye, patients will receive the best lumbar fusion surgery from specialist doctors in Turkey at affordable rates. Healthy Türkiye teams to provide medical attention to lumbar fusion surgery procedures and high-quality treatment to patients at a minimum cost. When you contact Healthy Türkiye assistants, you can get free information about the cost of lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey and what this cost covers.

The prices may vary based on specific procedure requirements. Contact us for exact price information.

Why Is Lumbar Fusion Surgery Cheaper in Turkey?

One of the main considerations before traveling abroad for lumbar fusion surgery is the cost-effectiveness of the whole process. Many patients think that when they add flight tickets and hotel expenses to their lumbar fusion surgery costs, it will become very expensive to travel, which is not true. Contrary to popular belief, round-trip flight tickets to Turkey for lumbar fusion surgery can be booked very affordably.

In this case, assuming you are staying in Turkey for your lumbar fusion surgery, your total travel expense of flight tickets and accommodation will only cost less than any other developed country, which is nothing compared to the amount that you are saving. The question “Why is lumbar fusion surgery cheaper in Turkey?” is so common among patients or people simply curious about getting their medical treatment in Turkey. When it comes to lumbar fusion surgery prices in Turkey, there are 3 factors allowing for cheaper prices:

The currency exchange is favorable for whoever looking for lumbar fusion surgery has a euro, dollar, or pound;

The lower cost of living and cheaper overall medical expenses such as lumbar fusion surgery;

For lumbar fusion surgery, incentives are given by the Turkish Government to medical clinics working with international clients;

All these factors allow for cheaper lumbar fusion surgery prices, but let’s be clear, these prices are cheaper for people with strong currencies (as we said, euro, dollar, Canadian dollar, pound, etc).

Every year, thousands of patients from all over the world come to Turkey to get lumbar fusion surgery. The success of the healthcare system has increased in recent years, especially for lumbar fusion surgery. It’s easy to find well-educated and English-speaking medical professionals in Turkey for all kinds of medical treatment such as lumbar fusion surgery.

Why Choose Turkey for Lumbar Fusion Surgery?

Turkey is a common choice among international patients seeking advanced lumbar fusion surgery. Turkey’s health procedures are safe and effective operations with a high success rate, like lumbar fusion surgery. The increasing demand for high-quality lumbar fusion surgery at affordable prices has made Turkey a popular medical travel destination. In Turkey, lumbar fusion surgery is performed by highly experienced and trained doctors with the most advanced technology in the world. lumbar fusion surgery is done in Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, and other major cities. The reasons for choosing lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey are as follows:

High-quality hospitals: Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited hospitals have dedicated lumbar fusion surgery units that are specially designed for patients. International and national strict protocols provide effective and successful lumbar fusion surgery for patients in Turkey.

Qualified experts: The expert teams include nurses and specialist doctors, together to carry out lumbar fusion surgery according to the patient’s needs. All the included doctors are highly experienced in performing lumbar fusion surgery.

Affordable price: The cost of lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey is affordable compared to Europe, the USA, the UK, Singapore, Australia, etc.

The high success rate: Highly experienced specialists, the best available technology, and stringently followed safety guidelines for post-operative care of the patient, resulting in a high success rate for lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey.

Is Lumbar Fusion Surgery Safe in Turkey?

Did you know Turkey is one of the most visited destinations for lumbar fusion surgery in the world? It is ranked as one of the most popular tourist destinations for lumbar fusion surgery. Over the years, it has also come to be a very popular medical tourism destination, with many tourists coming in for lumbar fusion surgery. There are so many reasons why Turkey stands out as a leading destination for lumbar fusion surgery. Because Turkey is both safe and easy to travel to, with a regional airport hub and flight connections to pretty much everywhere, it is preferred for lumbar fusion surgery.

The best hospitals in Turkey have experienced medical staff and specialists who have performed thousands of medical services, such as lumbar fusion surgery. All procedures and coordination related to lumbar fusion surgery are controlled by the Ministry of Health in accordance with the law. Over many years, the greatest progress in medicine has been observed in the field of lumbar fusion surgery. Turkey is known among foreign patients for its great opportunities in the area of lumbar fusion surgery.

To emphasize, besides the price itself, the key factor in selecting a destination for lumbar fusion surgery is certainly the standard of medical services, the hospital staff’s high level of expertise, hospitality, and the safety of the country.

All-inclusive Packages for Lumbar Fusion Surgery in Turkey

Healthy Türkiye offers all-inclusive packages for lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey at much lower prices. Extremely professional and experienced doctors and technicians carry out high-quality lumbar fusion surgery. The cost of lumbar fusion surgery in European countries can be quite expensive, especially in the UK. Healthy Türkiye provides cheap all-inclusive packages for a long and short stay of lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey. Because of many factors, we can provide you with many opportunities for your lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey.

The price of lumbar fusion surgery differs from other countries due to medical fees, staff labor prices, exchange rates, and market competition. You can save much more on lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey compared to other countries. When you purchase the lumbar fusion surgery all-inclusive package with Healthy Türkiye, our healthcare team will present hotels for you to choose from. In lumbar fusion surgery travel, you will have the price of your stay included in the all-inclusive package cost.

In Turkey, when you purchase lumbar fusion surgery all-inclusive packages through Healthy Türkiye, you will always receive VIP transfers. These are provided by Healthy Türkiye, which has contracted with highly qualified hospitals for lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey. The Healthy Türkiye teams will organize everything about lumbar fusion surgery for you and have you picked up from the airport and safely brought to your accommodations. Once settled in the hotel, you will be transferred to and from the clinic or hospital for lumbar fusion surgery. After your lumbar fusion surgery has been successfully completed, the transfer team will return you to the airport in time for your flight home. In Turkey, all packages of lumbar fusion surgery can be arranged upon request, which relaxes the minds of our patients. You can reach out Healthy Türkiye for everything you need to know about lumbar fusion surgery in Turkey.