TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion)

TLIF is a spinal fusion operation for the lower back. Through the back, the surgeon removes the worn disc between two vertebrae, places a spacer (cage) filled with bone graft in the disc space, and fixes the level with screws and rods so the two bones grow into one.

It aims to stop painful or unstable movement at one segment and to free trapped nerves, which mainly improves leg pain. Relief of back pain is less predictable, the fused level no longer moves, and the neighbouring levels carry more load afterwards.

What TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion) involves

You lie face down under general anaesthetic. Using X-ray guidance, pedicle screws are placed into the vertebrae above and below the affected disc. On the more symptomatic side, the facet joint is removed to open a corridor through the foramen, the channel where the nerve leaves the spine. Working beside the nerve sac rather than pulling it across, the surgeon clears out the disc, prepares the bony end plates, packs bone graft and inserts a cage to restore disc height. Rods are connected to the screws and tightened, and more graft is laid alongside. Nerve monitoring is often used throughout. A drain may be left for a day.

Who is a good candidate for TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion)?

Fusion is considered when a structural problem matches your symptoms and proper non-surgical care has not helped.

• Spondylolisthesis (a slipped vertebra) with leg pain or difficulty walking
• Spinal stenosis where decompression would leave the segment unstable
• Recurrent disc herniation at the same level
• Degenerative disc disease at one or two levels with confirmed instability, after at least 6 months of rehabilitation

It is usually not the right choice if:

• Non-specific back pain without a clear structural cause on imaging
• Severe osteoporosis, where screws may not hold
• Active infection or uncontrolled diabetes
• Smokers unwilling to stop, since nicotine markedly reduces fusion rates
• Multi-level degeneration where a single-level fusion is unlikely to help

الخيارات التقنية

• Open TLIF: A midline incision with muscle retraction. Gives wide access; useful for high-grade slips or revision surgery.
• Minimally invasive TLIF: Tubular retractors and screws placed through the skin. Less blood loss and muscle damage, with similar fusion rates in suitable cases.
• Navigation or robot-assisted screws: Intra-operative imaging guides screw placement, helpful in distorted anatomy.
• Alternatives: PLIF, ALIF, lateral fusion: Different routes to the same disc space. The surgeon chooses according to level, previous surgery and alignment goals.

ماذا يحدث خلال علاجك

Surgery takes 2 to 4 hours for one level under general anaesthetic. You wake with a wound dressing on your back and usually a urinary catheter for the first night. Physiotherapists help you stand and walk the next day. Hospital stay is 2 to 4 nights.

الإعداد لرحلتك

Plan for 10 to 14 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.

• Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
• Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
• Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
• Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly

التعافي والنتائج

Walking is encouraged from day one. Avoid bending, twisting and lifting more than a few kilos for 6 to 12 weeks. Desk work is often possible at 4 to 6 weeks, manual work at 3 to 6 months. Bone fusion takes 6 to 12 months and is checked with X-rays or CT. Long flights are usually acceptable after 10 to 14 days, with regular walking during the flight.

• Back to everyday activity: 6 to 12 weeks
• When results show: Leg pain often eases within days; fusion at 6 to 12 months
• How long they last: Permanent fusion

سياسة السلامة والمخاطر والتنقيح

Spinal fusion is major surgery. Most people do well, but the following are real possibilities.

• Nerve root irritation or injury, causing new leg pain, numbness or weakness
• Tear of the dural sac with spinal fluid leak
• Non-union, where the bones fail to fuse, sometimes requiring revision
• Misplaced or loosened screws, or cage movement
• Wound infection, deep in about 1 to 3 percent
• Blood clots in the legs or lungs
• Adjacent segment degeneration in later years
• Persistent back pain despite a solid fusion

Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.

Cost of TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion) in Türkiye

Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion), because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:

• Number of levels fused
• Implant type, including cage material and navigation or robot use
• Open or minimally invasive technique
• Nerve monitoring and length of stay
• Post-operative bracing and physiotherapy

Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

الأسئلة المتكررة