What is minimally invasive spine surgery?
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is a surgical procedure method without making large cuts into your body.
The Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine team performs minimally invasive spine surgery using a tubular retractor device. The retractor fits into a small incision, pushing your muscles aside to create a channel. This prevents the need to cut into the muscles and nerves.
Once the retractor is in place, your surgeon uses specialized instruments that go down through the retractor to perform your surgery. To give them a clear view of the tissues and structures at the surgery site, the team uses an operating microscope and X-ray technology.
What are the advantages of minimally invasive spine surgery?
Compared to traditional open surgery, there are significant advantages to minimally invasive spine surgery, including:
- Reduction in blood loss
- Lower risk of infection
- Reduced levels of postoperative pain
- Shorter stay in hospital
- Smaller scars
- Quicker recovery
The Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine team specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery because of these benefits. They also use the Excelsius GPS® robotic surgery system with some of the procedures.
When would I need minimally invasive spine surgery?
You might need minimally invasive spine surgery if your back or neck pain isn't improving after a course of nonoperative treatment.
For most patients, methods such as medication, physical therapy, and acupuncture work very well. For those who don't get relief from their pain, advanced treatments like epidural steroid and nerve block injections, IDET (intradiscal electrothermal therapy), and spinal cord stimulation can help.
Patients who don't respond to conservative treatments and suffer a significant lowering of their quality of life might need minimally invasive spine surgery.
What minimally invasive spine surgeries are available?
Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine offers various minimally invasive spine surgeries, including:
Microdiscectomy
If you have a herniated disc, it means the inside of the disc is protruding into your spinal canal and might be pressing on the nerves. Microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive spine surgery that removes herniated disc material to relieve nerve pressure.
Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty is a treatment for vertebral compression fractures, which are a common problem for people with osteoporosis. The procedure involves raising the height of the affected vertebra by inflating a balloon inside it and then filling the space with bone cement.
Endoscopic decompression
Endoscopic decompression is a solution to the pain and other symptoms of spinal stenosis. This procedure uses an endoscope – a tube with a camera – rather than a microscope.
Sacroiliac joint fusion
The sacroiliac joints in your pelvis can develop painful inflammation (sacroiliitis), often due to a type of spinal arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis. If pain management options aren’t proving effective, minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion addresses the problem by grafting one or both sides of your sacrum to the ilium using a bone graft or implant.
To find out more about these and other minimally invasive spine surgeries and how they could ease your pain, call the Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine, or book an appointment online today.
