Sacroiliac Joint Fusion

What is it?

This minimally-invasive procedure treats sacroiliac joint pain by stabilising the joint with pins.

​

What happens on the day?

The operation is performed under general anaesthetic and we therefore ask patients to refrain from eating or drinking anything for 6 hours prior to the injection.  Water however is allowed up to 2 hours before admission.  

Upon admission, the patient will be seen by the ward nurse, the anaesthetist and Mr. Lau himself.  Informed consent will be obtained and a mark placed on the back to confirm the correct site of the operation. The patient will be given a general anaesthetic and carefully positioned on their front for the operation which will be guided by a specialised X-ray machine.

Patients are carefully positioned on their fronts with a pillow under their pelvis.  A specialist mobile x-ray machine (fluoroscopy) is used throughout the procedure. A 3 cm incision is made over the hip and the 3D-printed triangular shaped pins carefully inserted across the sacroliliac joint.

​

​

​

Follow up

Patients are asked to partially weight bear with crutches on the operated side for 3 weeks, gradually progressing to fully weight bearing.  Routine follow up is arranged for 6 weeks post operation with physiotherapy input in the intervening period.

For carefully selected patients, the outcomes for this surgery are very good, with over 80% patient satisfaction rate.