7 Key Advantages of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Back pain is a widespread ailment, afflicting 8 out of 10 people at least once during their lives. Your spine, composed of 24 bony vertebrae with soft intervertebral discs between them as cushioning, extends from the base of the skull into the neck (cervical spine), through the chest (thoracic spine), and down to the lower back (lumbar spine). Back pain can occur anywhere along the chain, and it can be sudden and sharp, throbbing, or a constant dull ache.

At Center for Neurosurgery Las Vegas, neurosurgeon Dr. Scott Glickman and his staff specialize in minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) to treat a wide range of back and spinal conditions. That’s because MISS has a number of advantages over traditional techniques. Here’s what you need to know about spinal conditions and why MISS might be the best treatment option for you.

How is minimally invasive spine surgery different from traditional techniques?

In the past, surgeons used an open procedure, making a single, long incision in the skin. And in the case of spine surgery, the surgeon might also have to cut through muscle and connective tissue, or detach them from a bone. The result was potential blood loss, a great deal of pain after the procedure, a serious risk of infection, and a long recovery.

In the 1980s, though, minimally invasive surgery came into its own, gradually making its way through various specialties, including neurosurgery. A minimally invasive technique requires the surgeon to make just one or two small incisions, each only about ½-inch long. Next, they insert a small metal tube with a camera on its end, called an endoscope, that allows them to watch what they’re doing on a computer monitor. Finally, they feed in extremely small instruments beside the scope to let them repair or remove tissue. Each incision usually requires a single stitch to close.

7 key advantages of MISS

The seven major advantages of this type of procedure include:

1. Most performed on an outpatient basis — go home the same day
2. Reduced trauma to surrounding muscles and soft tissue
3. Less scarring
4. Less blood loss during and after surgery
5. Reduced risk of pain and infection after surgery
6. Less need for pain medication after surgery
7. Faster recovery with less rehabilitation needed

And many of the procedures can be done with local anesthesia, meaning there’s less chance of a bad reaction to general anesthesia.

What conditions can be treated using MISS?

MISS can be used to treat the symptoms of and improve spinal function in people with conditions that include:

• Age-related degenerative disc disease
• Cervical or lumbar spinal stenosis
• Bulging or herniated discs
• Spinal deformities like scoliosis and kyphosis
• Spinal instability, including spondylolisthesis
• Vertebral compression fractures from osteoporosis
• Spinal tumors

Some of the procedures Dr. Glickman performs with MISS include:

• Discectomy: trims or removes herniated discs
• Spinal decompression: removes bone and soft tissue causing painful nerve root compression
• Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF): replaces damaged disc with bone-filled cage to provide more spinal stability
• Spinal fusion: fuses discs to immobilize painful joints

Through technological advances, even hardware placement through buttonhole-size incisions has become easier and more accurate.

If you’re dealing with persistent back pain and need relief, it’s time to come into Center for Neurosurgery Las Vegas for a consultation with Dr. Glickman to find out if minimally invasive spine surgery is right for you. Call our office at 702-929-8242, text us at 725-210-0057, or book your appointment online.