Spine surgeons aim to provide relief to their patients by either realigning or fusing the spine to help realign and restore spinal harmony. Both decompression and fusion procedures offer varying degrees of symptomatic relief. However, decompressive procedures are often followed by the need for more decompressive procedures or a fusion procedure. Fusion procedures entail placing rods, plates, and screws into the spine. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is a surgical procedure that is used to treat spinal conditions in the lower back by removing a disc and fusing two vertebrae together.

ALIF is a surgical procedure aimed to stabilize the vertebrae in the lower back. The surgeon approaches the spine through the front of the body, passing through the abdomen to reach the spine. Your surgeon may ask you if you have had previous abdominal surgeries to assess your candidacy for this procedure.