U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andrew D. Sarver
Minimally invasive surgery, for instance, Plano spine surgery minimally invasive, is a technique used by surgeons that limit the number and size of incisions and cuts.
Typically, minimally invasive surgery is safer than traditional surgery techniques, also known as open surgery.
The biggest advantage of minimally invasive surgery is a quick recovery and spending less time in a healthcare center or hospital.
The healing process is quick and comfortable. In today’s article, we will tell you about minimally invasive surgery techniques for spine problems. Read on!
What is Lumbar Interbody Fusion?
Lumbar interbody fusion is a surgical technique used for correcting problems in the vertebrae of the spine.
Essentially, it is like a “welding” procedure – the basic idea of which is to fuse together the vertebrae that cause pain. Eventually, they heal into a solid bone.
The lumbar interbody fusion is a sophisticated treatment option for people with pain mainly caused by motion.
In theory, if the vertebral movement is causing pain, then you need lumbar interbody fusion surgery.
Also, the lumbar interbody fusion is a spinal fusion, which involves the removal of an intervertebral disk. It is a type of fusion, which the surgeon performs using different techniques.
For instance, the surgeon accesses your spine via incisions in the back area or in the side. So, the anterior lumbar interbody fusion is an approach used by the surgeon to access the lower back area through the abdominal incision.
Although most surgeries performed on the spinal area use a back approach. On the other hand, a surgeon can choose the anterior approach for many reasons, which include:
- Avoiding multiple surgeries in a single area if the patient had spinal surgeries previously using the back approach.
- The lumbar interior fusion allows for accessing the intervertebral disk.
- Through this surgery, the surgeon can add lordosis to the spine.
- It offers quicker recovery and healing process.
On the other hand, the posterior or back technique is used by the surgeon to access the spine without moving the nerves. Blood vessels, tissues, and organs are required to be moved to the side if the surgeon is using the anterior approach.
In most situations, an orthopedic surgeon is helped by a vascular surgeon to pen and expose the disk space.
The interbody fusion takes from 2-3 hours. First, the surgeon removes the intervertebral disk and then clear out the disk space. The surgeon then implants a plastic, metal, or bone spacer between the adjoining vertebrae.
So much so, this is called “cage” or “spacer,” which contains the graft material of the bone. This promotes the healing of bone and helps with the fusion.
What is Spinal Stenosis Surgery?
The spine consists of bones called vertebrae, which provides support and stability for your upper portion of the body. The spine also turns and twists – allowing for movements in different directions.
Usually, spinal nerves run through vertebral openings and receive signals from the central nervous system and send them to different organs of the body. These nerves are protected by the surrounding tissues and bones.
If these tissues or bones get impaired or damaged – whatever the reason – it can affect the movement of the body such as balance, walking, and sensation.
This condition is known as the spinal stenosis in which the spinal column gets narrowed. Eventually, it compresses the spinal cord, which is usually a gradual process.
There will be no occurrence of symptoms if there is a minimal narrowing of the spine. In contrast, too much narrowing will compress the nerves, which can lead to issues. Stenosis is a problem that can occur anywhere in the spinal area.
Spinal stenosis surgery is a minimally invasive surgery that allows the surgeon to reopen the spinal canal – a channel in the backbone area that houses and spinal cord and nerves. The surgery is performed due to the narrowing of the canal because of bone spurs, arthritis, etc.
The surgeons perform laminectomy, which involves taking out your bone, ligaments, and spurs, which are putting pressure on the nerves. Several smaller incisions are made to do this. It is one of the best minimally invasive surgery techniques for spine problems.
Conclusion
Plano Spine Surgery Minimally Invasive is a surgical technique that minimizes incisions so that the trauma to your body is reduced. The surgeon uses thin needles and endoscope to perform this type of surgery. Simply put, the surgery is usually guided visually.
There are different types of minimally invasive spine surgery techniques. The most popular ones are the lumbar interbody fusion and spinal stenosis surgery. The Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas has qualified surgeons and state-of-the-art MISS equipment to perform Plano spine surgery minimally invasive.
