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Studies show that over 15 million Americans a year get some kind of surgery. Many of those surgeries are spinal surgeries, intended to relieve lower back pain. Surgery can seem scary, but educating yourself can make it less intimidating. If you are someone in Frisco, Texas who suffers from lower back pain and is looking for relief, consider making an appointment with Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas, or MINT.
Why Would You Need Spinal Surgery?
Many people with lower back pain do not need surgery and can use other treatment plans such as medication and physical therapy to alleviate their back pain. However, in cases of intense, untreatable pain caused by nerve compression in the spine, or other musculoskeletal injuries, a neurosurgeon may suggest back surgery. The neurosurgeon will run diagnostic tests and examine X-rays before determining what kind of back surgery would best treat the condition.
What Are Some Types Of Spinal Surgeries For Lower Back Pain?
Did you know that there are a wide variety of surgeries to treat lower back pain? Because the spine is so intricate, there are a lot of points where something can go wrong and put pressure on pain-causing nerves. Therefore a variety of techniques are used to treat lower back pain.
Discectomy
The vertebrae of the spine are separated by thick, rubbery discs. Sometimes these discs bulge or slip out of place, which is called a hernia. A herniated disc can press on the nerves of the spinal cord. A discectomy removes the disc that is causing nerve pressure.
Spinal Decompression
Spinal decompression, also called a spinal laminectomy, is a procedure intended to relieve pressure on the nerves of the spine. The pressure is often caused by spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal that houses the nerves. The procedure widens the spinal channel and removes any bone spurs to hopefully relieve pressure.
Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty
Sometimes the vertebrae of the spine will get compression fractures over time. This is especially common in people who have been in traumatic accidents, or elderly patients suffering from osteoporosis. Both Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty seal these stress fractures with medical bone glue, reinforcing and strengthening the spine.
Artificial Disk Replacement
The discs that separate the vertebrae of the spine can become so damaged that they no longer properly separate the vertebrae. This condition can become very painful if nerves are pinched. An artificial disk replacement swaps out old, damaged discs with long-lasting artificial ones.
Spinal Fusion
Similar to Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty, the point of spinal fusion is to reinforce the spine. In this procedure, the surgeon fuses two or more spinal vertebrae together. This process uses metal screws and bone grafts to keep the fusion in place. The result is usually a lack of flexibility in the spine and an extensive recovery time.
Foraminotomy
The spine is hollow, allowing critical nerves to move through, passing messages throughout the body. A Foraminotomy is a procedure in which the surgeon enlarges the area of the spine where the nerve root exits the spinal canal. This is to alleviate any pressure on the nerves from herniated discs, bone spurs, or thickened joints.
What is Minimally Invasive Surgery?
In the past, the only way to get spinal surgery was to get an “open” surgery. This involved a large incision on the back to allow the surgeon to reach the affected area of the spine. Open surgery causes higher blood loss during surgery and often requires a slow and painful recovery time.
In contrast, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) is a modern and effective method for performing spinal surgery that is available in Frisco and Dallas Texas. Instead of using a large incision for spinal surgery, MISS performs surgery by making a small incision (less than an inch long) near the injured portion of the spine. Then a medical instrument about the size of a pencil, called a tubular retractor, is placed in the incision. Through that tubular retractor, the Neurosurgeon carefully places tiny instruments, including a camera, into the hollow spine. Guided by this camera, the Neurosurgeon can locate the problem and fix it with small medical instruments. This lack of large incisions means less pain for the patient, as well as less recovery time. Many MISS surgeries are outpatient procedures! MISS can be used to treat herniated and torn discs, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, and a wide variety of painful spinal conditions.
