Category: Spine Surgery | Author: Stefano Sinicropi | Date: November 23, 2025
To the average adult, every spine surgery may seem complex, but for trained specialists, many procedures are rather routine in nature. For example, fusing two adjacent vertebral sections to one another can be completed with ease for many spine surgeons. However, sometimes more than just two sections need to be fused together, and when many different sections are impacted by the procedure, the surgery is considered a complex spinal procedure.
As the name implies, a complex spinal fusion procedure is no simple operation, and the complication rate is much higher than for less invasive operations. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why a complex spinal fusion may be recommended and how the procedure is performed.
Complex Spinal Fusion
By definition, a complex spinal fusion procedure involves the fusion of six or more vertebrae within the spinal column. It typically involves the insertion of screws, rods and other surgical hardware to ensure column stability and to limit unwanted movement. Depending on how many levels are involved, the procedure may take anywhere from 6-10 hours or more to complete, which is taxing on both the patient and the surgeon.
Most people never need to undergo complex spinal fusion, but it can be indicated for individuals dealing with:
- Significant spinal deformities
- Spinal tumors
- Extensive spinal trauma
- Curvature disorders like scoliosis or kyphosis
The Procedure And Its Risks
Your spine surgeon will walk you through your specific procedure expectations should you need the procedure, but we’ll outline some general steps for how a complex fusion is typically performed. The patient is placed on their stomach and is given anesthesia to ensure they do not feel anything during the procedure. A large incision is made down the back so that the surgeon can easily access the spinal column. Next, the damaged or abnormal vertebral sections are removed or repositioned before bone grafts and specialized hardware are inserted to straighten and stabilize the spine.
Before closing the incision site, the surgeon will typically take X-rays in order to ensure that hardware has been inserted correctly relative to the positioning they had hoped to achieve. If satisfied by the imaging results, the incision site is closed with surgical staples and the patient is taken to a recovery room.
All surgeries carry potential risks, but the risk of complications is higher when comparing the complex fusion procedure to more minimally invasive operations. The large incision site, lengthy procedure, the significant physical demands and the complex correction mean that certain risks are elevated, including:
- Blood loss
- Delayed wound site healing
- Nerve damage
- Blood clots/Deep vein thrombosis
- Side effects from anesthesia
- Fusion failure
- Infection
Contact a Spine Fusion Surgeon
Although the overall complication rate will vary based on individual factors including patient health and surgeon preference, estimates suggest that overall complication rate hovers around 10-20 percent, which is much higher than other procedures that can be more readily controlled. Dr. Sinicropi and his team will do everything in their power to reduce this complication rate even further and address your complex issue in the best way possible. To learn more about complex or standard spinal fusion operations, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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