Column Treatment Progress Report No. 207: A Patient with a History of Spinal Fusion Surgery
The patient
A male patient in his 60s
Treatment Date: July 2025 (Over 8 months have passed since the procedure)
Symptoms and treatments to date
The patient presented disc degeneration at the L2/3 and L3/4 levels (indicated by the red frame on the imaging).
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
Approximately 20 years ago, the patient developed severe pain in his left buttocks, making it difficult to remain standing.
He visited an orthopedic clinic and was diagnosed with spinal canal stenosis, for which he underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion and decompression surgery. His symptoms were improved at that time.
Around 2021, pain in the left buttock returned. He managed the symptoms with medication, but the pain gradually worsened, leading him to visit our clinic.
Post-treatment progress
The table below shows the results of the patient’s own evaluation of the pain in each body site on a scale of 0 to 10.
No pain at all is rated as 0 and 10 as the maximum possible pain.
| Lower back | Lower limbs | Numbness | Buttocks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before treatment | 4 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
| 1 week after treatment | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 1 month after treatment | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
One week later, symptoms had subsided overall.
One month later, the patient was feeling very well. Although numbness in the left thumb remained a concern, the severity of the symptoms was mild.
At the 6-month mark, numbness in the thumb persists, but the area affected has shrunk, indicating improvement.
In this patient’s case, disc degeneration is believed to havre been the primary cause of symptoms.
It is thought that a disc in a different location—not the one treated with fusion surgery—was responsible for these symptoms.
Although some symptoms occasionally reappeared, the patient worked to improve hisposture, managed their symptoms proactively, and took care to avoid placing unnecessary strain on the affected area in his daily life.
* Results vary among individuals. Please be aware that identical outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
* It generally takes 3 weeks to 3 months for treatment effects to appear.
Our Treatment Method
Supplementary Information on the Cellgel Method
Cost of the Cellgel Method:
¥1,320,000 / 1 site (tax included)
to ¥1,760,000 / 5 sites (tax included)
Risks and Side Effects:
Temporary pain may occur after treatment.
Nerve injury is theoretically possible due to the nature of the procedure, but no such cases have been reported in our own experience or in published studies.
Extremely rare risk of allergic reaction to local anesthetic.
Symptoms may temporarily worsen for 1–2 weeks after treatment, believed to be due to decompression effects of the implant pulling on surrounding tissue.
If the disc is severely collapsed or nearly gone, treatment may not be possible.
The physician will discuss suitable treatment options with each patient depending on their condition.
For more detailed information, please refer to the following links:
Blog page explaining the Cellgel Method in an easy-to-understand manner
The Cellgel Method on our treatment methods page
This article was written by the administrative Director of our clinic
