Orthopaedic specialists, Steve Paragioudakis, MD, and Marc Menkowitz, MD, at the Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine (CFRS), combine medical and surgical expertise with advanced technology to offer their patients the most effective treatments available for a wide variety of painful and disabling spinal conditions.
If conservative therapies fail to effectively relieve your symptoms, we may recommend minimally invasive surgery.
What is minimally invasive spine surgery?
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) includes several operative procedures our surgeons might recommend to effectively eliminate pain and mobility issues related to:
- Herniated or ruptured discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spondylolysis
- Vertebral compression fracture
- Scoliosis
- Nerve compression
- Facet joint syndrome
- Severe kyphosis
Not everyone is a candidate for MISS, and recommendations are made based on your overall health as well as the type and extent of spinal damage you’re experiencing.
MISS procedures available at CFRS include various endoscopic and robot-assisted surgeries that offer several advantages compared to traditional open surgery.
What are the advantages of minimally invasive spine surgery?
The benefits of MISS compared to traditional spine surgery are related to smaller incision sizes and less tissue trauma during the procedure.
These advantages include:
- Reduced bleeding during surgery
- Decreased muscle and soft tissue damage
- Less pain and reduced requirements for pain medication after the surgery
- Reduced risk of postsurgical infection
- Less risk of cosmetic scarring due to dramatically smaller incisions
- Shorter hospital stay
- Faster healing with quicker return to normal daily routine
Compared to traditional spine surgery, both endoscopic and robot-assisted procedures also offer significantly improved visualization of the surgical field.
This advantage is especially significant during spinal surgery because the operative area is often quite small and surrounded by numerous vital tissue structures, including highly sensitive nerves.
What is endoscopic spine surgery?
Endoscopic spine surgery is a minimally invasive procedure, during which our surgeon uses a small high-definition camera (endoscope) to view the surgical field via a computer monitor.
For an endoscopic procedure, we make two or three small button-hole size incisions near the targeted treatment site and insert the camera and surgical instruments used during the procedure through a small tube (catheter).
In some cases, rather than a camera, we may use a surgical microscope which offers a three-dimensional view of the surgical field.
What is robotic spine surgery?
Robotic spine surgery combines highly advanced robotic technology with your surgeon’s skill and expertise to provide an extra measure of precision during various minimally invasive spinal procedures.
Dr. Paragioudakis and Dr. Menkowitz use the Globus Medical ExcelsiusGPS® system. The Excelsius platform includes a GPS navigation system that offers greater accuracy than other platforms in mapping a pathway to the targeted treatment site.
The improved range of motion available with robotic technology also enhances your surgeon’s ability to make extremely delicate and very precise movements during the surgery. This results in minimal blood loss, less tissue damage, and reduced risk of scarring.
For more information about MISS or any of the services we offer at CFRS, schedule an evaluation today by calling the office or requesting an appointment online.
