What is minimally invasive spine surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery is defined by the size of the incision compared with conventional open surgery. When you get minimally invasive spine surgery, your provider makes small incisions and uses specialized instruments that are narrow enough to fit through the tiny cuts.

One of the most important instruments is a scope that holds a camera and lighting. The scope transmits high-def, magnified videos to a monitor. Your surgeon gets an excellent view of your spine while controlling the instruments from outside your body.

In most cases, your surgeon can preserve your muscles. Instead of cutting them, they use a tubular retractor that gently separates the fibers, creating an opening that’s just large enough for the instruments.

When would I need minimally invasive surgery?

The team at New Jersey Pain, Spine & Sports Associates often performs minimally invasive spine surgery to treat conditions such as:

• Herniated disc
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spinal stenosis
• Scoliosis
• Compressed nerves
• Spondylolisthesis
• Compression fractures
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
• Spinal tumors and infections

Your surgeon has extensive experience performing many different surgical procedures to safely and effectively repair these conditions.

What type of minimally invasive spine surgery might I receive?

Most of the spine surgeries that were once done with open surgery can now be performed using minimally invasive techniques. These are only a few examples of the surgical procedures you could receive:

• Microdiscectomy
• Spinal fusion
• Spinal deformity surgery
• Anterior cervical discectomy
• Artificial disc replacement
• Nerve decompression
• Laminectomy
• Laminoplasty
• Kyphoplasty
• Vertebroplasty

These procedures ease your pain and restore spinal stability through techniques such as decompressing pinched nerves, removing damaged discs, and fusing bones.

What are the benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery?

During open surgery, your skin and muscles are cut with a long incision. Then the tissues are pulled back to create an opening large enough for hands to reach your spine.

By comparison, the small incisions used during minimally invasive spine surgery cause significantly less trauma. As a result, you gain benefits such as:

• Less bleeding during surgery
• Lower risk of complications
• Less pain after surgery
• Shorter recovery period
• Faster return to your usual activities
• Minimal scarring

In most cases, your minimally invasive surgery is done on an outpatient basis.

If you have questions about minimally invasive spine surgery, call New Jersey Pain, Spine & Sports Associates or book an appointment online today.