Minimally Invasive Back Surgery – How Does It Work?
Image sourced from Canva
Neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons at Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas perform the following minimally invasive back surgery. We have always opted for continuous training, which is why we offer our patients the most advanced treatments and use the most innovative techniques in each of the procedures. If you are dealing with back problems and looking for a solution, contact our professional and highly qualified spine surgeon in Plano TX.
An Effective Solution for Back Problems
Pain in the lower back is a symptom that occurs very often for almost every athlete and non-athlete. It is estimated that between 60-90% of the population will suffer from low back pain at some point in life. Sometimes this pain can radiate into one leg or in both legs. This type of pain is known as lower back pain, and its most frequent cause is the presence of a lumbar disc herniation. Back pain is also caused due to decreased lumen size of the spinal canal in the lumbar area. It is also known as lumbar canal stenosis and can manifest itself in the form of irradiated leg pain that appears during ambulation. The initial treatment of all these back problems is known as a conservative treatment such as pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, physical rehabilitation, and physical therapy. When, after a few weeks, this treatment procedure fails to alleviate symptoms effectively, specialized medical treatment must be carried out to diagnose processes that may require some surgical intervention, known as minimally invasive spine surgery.
What is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?
Minimally invasive spine surgery consists of trying to apply the same principles of open surgery, but with the least possible aggression to the patient’s structures. For this surgical procedure, Dr. Scott Kutz, MD, a professional back surgeon in Plano TX, used innovative techniques. We made an incision of about 15 mm, where we placed a cannula of that size. Inside this cannula, we introduce an endoscopy procedure that allows us to expand and magnify the work field. Therefore, it does not require us to perform extensive dissections to access the patient’s spine.
How Is It Performed?
There are multiple techniques included within the minimally invasive back surgery concept. The procedures can be percutaneous (without opening the skin, such as infiltrations) or for the placement of gum within the vertebral body (kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty), assisted by endoscopy (laparoscopy or thoracoscopy) or minimally open. Regarding the latter, this surgical procedure is performed from the removal of a herniated disc fragment (discectomy), decompression of a vertebral segment (stenosis surgery) or the fixation of a vertebral segment (MISS arthrodesis) in its different versions (XLIF, PLIF, TLIF, ALIF or posterolateral fusion), both at the level of the cervical, dorsal or lumbar spine.
The Postoperative Period
In general, the postoperative period of minimally invasive back surgery is faster than with conventional techniques. The patient can stand up and walk around in 24-hours and can be discharged between 48 and 72 hours after the surgical procedure. Drains are not usually placed, and a comfort belt or lumbar orthosis is recommended for the first month. The staples or stitches are removed between 12-16 days, and the patient continues rehabilitation on an outpatient basis. The patient can return to its healthy life between two months and three months, depending on the pathology.
Minimally Invasive Back Surgery Techniques
The minimally invasive techniques in spinal surgery are progressing slowly but progressively. The special characteristics of spinal surgery make advances more slowly, prudently, and look for more security than in surgeries in other regions of the human body. Despite the existing difficulties, the possibility of using so-called “minimally invasive” techniques in the spine is perhaps more meaningful and profitable than in other parts of the body. Approaches to the posterior spine severely injure the posterior musculature with unrecoverable denervation of the posterior musculature and cause the surgery’s failure. The approaches in the anterior part require thoracotomies, laparotomies, lumpectomies, etc. These all confer very severe aggressiveness with undesirable and sometimes definitive side effects. It is essential to achieve results superimposable to conventional surgery without most of its drawbacks.
Benefits of Minimally Invasive Back Surgery
The advantages that it offers, compared to conventional surgery, are several such as less incision with reduction of trauma to the muscle tissues, reduction in the infection rate, less post-surgical pain, with a decrease in the consumption of analgesics, prompt postoperative reintegration into daily activity and labor, and better aesthetic appearance, the scar does not exceed 1.5 – 2 centimeters. Basically, spinal endoscopy is indicated for lumbar disc herniation surgery and canal stenosis surgery.
In general, the benefits of the MICs in the column are as follows:
- Smaller incisions are made.
- Less blood loss during the surgical procedure.
- Less muscle injury, which favors recovery and reduces the need for rehabilitation.
- Lower risk of infection.
- Less postoperative pain and need for analgesia.
- Shorter hospital stays
In addition, cervical spine surgery in Plano TX includes different surgical techniques, ranging from the pulsed radiofrequency used in the treatment of low back pain, to the percutaneous approaches used in spinal instrumentation, including lumbar and cervical microsurgery. If you are looking for a back surgeon in Plano TX, contact us at Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas.
Conclusion:
In any case, surgical success will depend to a great extent on the experience and scientific-technical qualification of the surgeon to indicate and carry out the most appropriate procedure for each specific patient, minimizing the damage necessary to achieve maximum clinical and functional improvement.
For neurosurgery in Plano TX or cervical spine surgery in Plano TX, we have a great team of experienced spine surgeon in Plano TX, such as Dr. Scott Kutz, MD. If you have other queries about cervical spine surgery in Plano TX, feel free to reach out to Dr. Scott Kutz, MD; Call (972) 244-3491 and book an appointment in his clinic, Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas. For further queries about minimally invasive back surgery, visit our website.
