Spinal and Neck Surgeries at Plano Brain and Spine Center
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We at Plano Brain and Spine Center are here to help educate you on the possible causes and solutions to spinal injuries and neck pain problems you’re experiencing.
People suffer from neck pain for different reasons, the most common ones being:
- A complication from a fall
- Physical trauma to the neck
- Arthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Ruptured or bulging spinal disks
- Irregularities in the skeletal structure
Mild neck pain cases are often caused by poor posture and can easily be corrected. But more serious neck conditions can also occur, especially if you’re already experiencing the following symptoms in your arms, shoulders, and hands:
- Shooting pain
- Numbness and constant tingling
- Loss of strength and muscle tone
- Pain radiating to other nearby body parts
Read on to get an idea of the various neck and spinal column surgeries we offer here at Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas. Most of these procedures are typically done on an overnight stay or an outpatient basis.
1. Cervical Laminoforaminotomy
This minimally invasive surgery is used to treat nerve root compression near the cervical vertebrae in the neck (cervical radiculopathy). The condition can be caused by trauma to the cervical spine, natural degeneration, or osteoarthritis. Shooting pains and numbness generally characterize cervical radiculopathy.
Here is how cervical laminoforaminotomy in Plano TX is done:
- You will lie down on your stomach and be given general anesthesia. The physician creates a small incision at the back of your neck. He then begins to access the offending nerve by shaving the spine’s lamina, a thin bone plate protecting your spinal cord.
- Once your physician reaches the compressed nerve, he’ll remove disk fragments and bone spurs that are causing the compression. After that, the neck incision is closed.
Recovery time, on average, is two to four weeks. Pain medications will be given to manage the incision site pain. Outpatient physical therapy is often prescribed to help regain muscle function and eliminate swelling.
2. Posterior Cervical Facet Fusion
Bone fusion is a procedure done to create a natural biological response from the bones. Bone grafts or substitutes are joined together with real bones to trick the body into thinking it has a fracture. New bones will then grow in between the two vertebral elements, stabilizing that bone segment.
Posterior cervical facet fusion is one kind of bone fusion surgery used to treat fractures, unstable spinal column, and degenerative disk disease. It’s also used to stabilize spinal tumors.
Here is an overview of how posterior cervical facet fusion in Plano TX goes:
- An incision is cut at the midline of your back. Muscles are then compressed temporarily from your spine’s lamina to expose the facet joints and lateral mass. These structures will be used for bone fusion later.
- The exact area of bone fusion is now prepared. Cartilages and tissues on the facet joints are removed. Then, the area within the joint is burred or gouged to create a surface space for the grafting.
- After that, the prepared bone graft or substitutes are now packed inside the prepared facet joints. The back muscles are then released, covering the bone graft and creating extra tension to securely hold the grafts in place.
Sometimes, extra support is given by adding combinations of either wires, screws, plates, or rods before releasing the back muscles. These instruments help increase the chances of successful bone fusion.
Neck bracing is often required to immobilize the area and promote bone fusion. It will usually take three months for the bone to fuse and set properly. Recovery time widely varies, but improvements are usually seen after 6-9 months.
3. Lumbar Laminotomy
This procedure involves the partial removal of your spine’s lamina at the lower back. It is done to decompress the spinal column and alleviate any pain resulting from it. Any spaces created by removing part of the lamina helps in removing pain and pressure on the nerves and/or spinal cord.
Lumbar laminotomy in Plano TX is done this way:
- You’ll lie on your stomach, and anesthesia will be given to you. It could be general or spinal, depending on your case.
- An incision is made on the back where the affected spinal column is. Muscles near the spinal column are then removed while keeping the ligaments and the spinous process (a bony part of the vertebra) intact.
- A microscope or endoscope is then used to visualize the lamina parts that need to be removed. Your physician will use a small surgical drill to remove bone parts from the lamina. Depending on your case, the physician can remove lamina parts from either one or both sides of your spinal bones.
- If you require laminotomy on multiple vertebra levels, your physician will move to the next one after finishing one level. Multi-level lumbar laminotomies can be done in a single surgery.
Recovering from the surgery often requires you to undergo outpatient physical therapy to regain muscle function. You’ll need to take pain medications for a few days as well. Recovery time can take 2-4 weeks or longer, depending on your case.
4. Lumbar Foraminotomy
Lumbar foraminotomy or decompression is another type of minimally invasive surgery used to widen the spaces of the spinal tunnels of your lower back. These tunnels housing the spinal nerves are called neural foramina. Foraminotomy helps relieve the pressure, pain, weakness, and numbness associated with nerve compression from lumbar radiculopathy or sciatica.
Your physician will typically perform lumbar foraminotomy in Plano TX by doing the following:
- As usual, you’ll be placed in a prone position (lying on your stomach). You’ll also receive general anesthesia.
- Your physician will do an incision on your back at the vertebral level that needs to be decompressed. The incision is gently opened, taking care not to disrupt your muscles and surrounding soft tissues.
- Small surgical instruments and microscopes are then used to remove fragments, bone spurs, facet cysts, and overgrown ligaments from the neural foramen. After that, your incision and skin are closed with absorbable stitches.
Pain medications and physical therapy form the bulk of your recovery plan. You can typically return to normal activities in 2-4 weeks if your procedure had no complications.
The Wrap-Up
Minimally invasive procedures can help alleviate your pain and bring your normal functioning back. We’ve discussed four safe and highly-effective procedures in this post.
See your physician if you have neck/back pain accompanied by numbness, tingling, and loss of coordination. These could be signs of an underlying spinal condition that needs evaluation and surgical intervention.
Don’t delay seeking prompt and professional treatment today! Our clinic address is 5425 W Spring Creek Pkwy Suite 133, Plano, TX 75024.
Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas’ Plano Brain and Spine Center is the best place for you to get quality neck and spine surgeries!
