Dr Lee performs minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion for patients who have sacroiliac joint dysfunction that have exhausted conservative treatment options. Sacroiliac joint fusion is performed in an operating room, with general anesthesia. You will be lying face down. The entire procedure is performed through a small incision (approximately 2- 3 cm long), along the side of your buttock. Dr Lee uses intraoperative navigation technique to guide the instruments that prepare the bone and to insert the implants. A pin is passed through the ilium across the sacroiliac joint into the sacrum, avoiding the channels where nerves run (neural foramina). A broach is then used to create a pathway through the ilium to the sacrum. An implant is inserted, spanning the sacroiliac joint. Normally, two to three implants are used, depending on your size.
After surgery, patients are required to partial weight bear on the operated side using a frame or crutches as walking assistance for 4 – 6 weeks, before making gradual return to full weight bearing.
Dr Lee has previously published on the incidence of new onset sacroiliac joint pain following lumbar fusion in the Journal of Spinal Surgery. For further information visit here.
