You’re forced to walk hunched forward because of pain in your lower back, or you’re experiencing pain down one of your legs. These classic symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis can make your world feel increasingly smaller as you’re unable to move around without discomfort. To get you back to your life, we offer the Vertiflex™ procedure, which is an effective and minimally invasive approach to pain-free movement.
With decades of experience in pain management, Dr. Anjum Bux and the rest of our team here at Bux Pain Management are understandably excited when a device comes along that can change the lives of our patients for the better. Such is the case with the innovative Vertiflex procedure, which we look at more closely here.
What Vertiflex accomplishes
The Vertiflex implant is an FDA-approved device that we place in between your vertebrae to keep the space open so surrounding nerves aren’t compressed, which is what creates your unpleasant symptoms.
This small, titanium spacer features tiny arms that keep the device in place, while also allowing free range of motion in your lumbar spine.
Implanting your Vertiflex
If we’ve diagnosed you with lumbar spinal stenosis and conservative treatments aren’t relieving your symptoms, it’s likely that you may be a good candidate for the Vertiflex procedure.
To implant the device, Dr. Bux first places you under general anesthesia so you won’t feel any discomfort during the procedure. Once you’re ready, he creates a very small incision in your lower back and inserts a metal tube in between your vertebrae using fluoroscopy (live X-ray) to guide him. This tube holds your two vertebrae apart so Dr. Bux can place the implant.
With the tube in place, he then feeds the spacer through the tube and, once in position, he releases the arms on the Vertiflex implant. After Dr. Bux ensures that the device is securely in place, he removes the metal cannula and sutures the small incision.
Once you wake and we’re satisfied that you feel comfortable, we send you home with complete aftercare instructions. Yes, we perform the Vertiflex procedure on an outpatient basis!
After your Vertiflex procedure
In the days following your Vertiflex procedure, you may feel some soreness around the incision, which is perfectly normal. We ask that you take it easy for a few days following your procedure, and you should avoid most strenuous activities for six weeks following your Vertiflex implant.
As you recover and start to move around, our goal is that you join the 90% of patients who are satisfied with their Vertiflex implant. In fact, Boston Scientific, the manufacturers of Vertiflex, has collected clinical data showing that patients report a 66% improvement in back pain five years after the procedure, as well as a 75% reduction in leg pain.
If you have more questions about what to expect during and after your Vertiflex procedure, we invite you to contact one of our three locations in Lexington, Cynthiana, or Danville, Kentucky.
