promote the eventual fusion to bone. "Immediate bony ongrow occurs
because the implants are triangular, and eventual bony ingrow hap-
pens because of their rough and porous texture," says Mr. Gonzalez.
The procedure, performed with general or spinal anesthesia, takes
less than an hour to complete and patients go home about two hours
later. Most patients use a cane or a walker or are on crutches for at
least three weeks after getting the implants to speed up the fusion of
the bone to the cages.
"With the proper implant design, the anatomy is laid out very well,
which makes the associated risks incredibly small," says Dr. Kellogg.
"I'm very impressed by our outcomes."
Future growth
Dr. Kellogg and Mr. Gonzalez hope that more physicians will
become aware of sacroiliitis as a culprit of lower back pain and that
bringing the diagnostic regimen to the forefront will result in more
implants that will improve patients' lives (see "Identifying
Candidates for Surgery").
A few months after the surgery, many patients return for their final
post-op check-up and express their gratitude. The relief they feel is as
intense as the despair they felt when they first came in for their pre-op
evaluations. "That's what makes this particular procedure so gratify-
ing," says Dr. Kellogg.
"Mostly, they thank us for listening," says Mr. Gonzalez. "That's real-
ly the most important part of the process. Patients almost always tell
us everything we need to know. The surgery is simply what follows
the right diagnosis, which we're able to provide if we listen."
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