Am I a Good Candidate for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

There Are So Many Benefits to This Approach If you are facing spine surgery, you may be asking yourself if minimally invasive spine surgery is right for you. It’s a question that’s best answered following a thorough evaluation by a surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery.

Your surgeon will consider these and other factors:

-  Are you experiencing chronic pain?

-  Does your pain travel from your neck to your extremities?

-  Does your pain travel from your lower back to your lower extremities?

-  Have you already had back surgery but are still experiencing symptoms?

In general, patients who are good candidates for minimally invasive spine surgery are patients who need greater spine stability, a correction of a spinal deformity or decompression of spinal nerves. Conditions that may be treated with minimally invasive spinal surgery include: degenerative disc disease, a herniated disc, lumbar spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, vertebral compression fractures, spinal infections and spinal tumors.

How Do I Choose a Spine Surgeon?

Because there is a steep learning curve when performing minimally invasive spine surgeries, it’s important to choose a surgeon with proper training and experience. Keep in mind that not all spine surgeons are minimally invasive spine surgery specialists. At the Kayal Pain & Spine Center, we have the highly qualified surgeons who are trained and experienced, allowing you to get the full benefits of this technique. We’re the team you want on your side when you or someone you love is undergoing minimally invasive spine surgery.

What Are the Advantages of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

 When compared with traditional open spine surgery, this technique can be faster, safer and require less recovery time. In some cases, it can be performed as an outpatient procedure. Other benefits include:

-  Less blood loss

-  Lower risk of muscle damage

-  Smaller risk of infection

-  Less post-operative pain

-  Reduced need for pain medication after surgery

-  Less rehabilitation

-  Smaller scars

What Are the Potential Risks?

The possible risks of minimally invasive procedures are relatively low, but every surgical procedure involves some risk. In this case, risks include:

-  Negative reaction to anesthesia

-  Unexpected blood loss

-  Localized infections

-  The need for a second procedure or full open surgery

How Does It Work?

After making a small incision(s), your surgeon will guide instruments and/or a microscopic video camera through the incision(s). He or she may use a tubular retractor to keep muscles out of the way. Once the procedure is complete, the retractor will be removed, allowing dilated tissues to come back together.

Your surgeon also may need to use rods and screws to stabilize your spine or immobilize it to fuse spinal bones. During traditional surgery, muscle and other tissues must be removed from the spine’s surface to place the rods and screws. But with this technique, the rods and screws are placed percutaneously (through the skin) using small incisions, which eliminates the need for cutting underlying muscle.

Do you have questions about minimally invasive spine surgery or other procedures that could relieve your chronic pain? Call 844.777.0910 or contact us through our website to schedule your consultation.