Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

At the Center for Spinal Disorders, we are committed towards the advancement of minimally invasive spine surgery. Traditional spine surgery required, and continues to require, an open incision in the lumbar or cervical spine, along with the splitting of muscles, bones, removal of bone, as well as disc. Over the last 10-20 years, significant advancements have been made in an attempt to minimize the degree of surgery necessary, as well as the trauma to the body in performing spinal surgery.

With the use of specialized tubes, x-ray machinery, as well as arthroscopic and endoscopic equipment, smaller incisions can now be made with less overall trauma to the body. This also means that many patients may benefit from a reduced hospital stay, reduced time for rehabilitation, and a faster return towards work and play.

The use of minimally invasive spinal surgery must be applied on an individualized basis. Every patient's spinal pathology is different than the next, and therefore the application of minimally invasive technology needs to be tailor-made.

Very often, minimally invasive techniques can be applied. For those cases in which a traditional spinal surgical approach is needed, we at the Center for Spinal Disorders are committed towards getting you back to spinal health without an attempt towards pin holing your case into a particular technique.

Particulars to Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery

Lumbar Spinal Surgery Minimally Invasive

In regards to lumbar spinal surgery in a minimally invasive fashion, the essentials are as follows:

The patient is usually lying face down and with the use of advanced x-ray live view, the exact disc or offending area is localized. Then, with a series of tubes and/or endoscopic equipment, (not dissimilar to that used in sports injuries of the knee and shoulder) localized onto the disc level and then placed within the disc. Through the use of a camera and very small instruments, ranging from 4-8 mrn, the offending disc and/or bone can often be removed all the while under observation with both x-ray as well as direct camera view of the disc itself. With specialized equipment in the way of biters and graspers, the offending disc and/or ligament or bone is removed, and the entire area often can be sealed to avoid a recurrence of the problem.

Cervical Disc Surgery Minimally Invasive

Similar to lumbar spinal surgery, the patient is placed on an operating room table, and under localization with x-ray and live view, the offending disc and/or bony level is identified with a series of very small cannula. With a series of very small tubes and/or cameras, the offending disc is entered and removed with observation through the camera and x-ray throughout the procedure. Laser technology is often applied here. The indications for cervical spinal surgery in a minimally invasive fashion are more limited than that of the lumbar spinal region, given the overall anatomic concerns of the spinal cord. That is why we attempt to individualize each case on a case-by-case basis.

Read More about Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery »