Advances in science and surgical technology have allowed spine experts to develop spine procedures that can help many patients with neck and back pain find relief without having to undergo highly invasive open spine surgery.

Minimally invasive spine procedures, also known as endoscopic procedures, use state-of-the-art surgical methods and tools to treat compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots. Compression, or impingement, of spinal nerve structures can occur when one or more anatomical abnormalities – bulging discs, herniated discs, calcified ligaments, bone spurs, etc. – develop within the spine as a result of the natural aging process.

Open Spine Surgeries vs. Endoscopic Procedures

Traditional open spine surgery involves a large incision in the neck or back, the cutting or dissection of spinal muscles and other soft tissues, and the removal of anatomical abnormalities. If the spine is rendered unstable, spinal fusion is also performed.

An endoscopic procedure takes a far less invasive approach and only requires small incisions in the neck or back. Dilating tubes are inserted into the incisions to gradually separate soft tissues down to the spine. An endoscope (camera) and small surgical tools are threaded through the tubes and are used to remove only the portion of an anatomical abnormality that is compressing a neural structure (e.g. removing the extruded portion of a herniated disc versus the entire disc).

Because endoscopic procedures leave the spine’s soft tissues largely intact, patients are able to recover faster and with less post-operative pain than they would following an open spine surgery. Additionally, patients who undergo minimally invasive procedures may also have a reduced risk for infection and bleeding.

Some of the most common minimally invasive spine procedures include:

– Laminotomy – removal of vertebral lamina bone to relieve spinal cord compression

– Foraminotomy – removal of vertebral bone that forms a foramen to relieve spinal nerve root compression

– Discectomy – removal of a portion of a bulging or herniated disc

– Facet thermal ablation – cauterization of facet joint nerves that are damaged or irritated as a result of facet joint disease

Additional Procedures

In addition to the procedures mentioned previously, some endoscopic spine surgery centers may offer other minimally invasive options to certain candidates. In some cases, these procedures could involve the use of a patient’s own adult stem cells – those culled from a patient’s own body fat or bone marrow – to help repair and heal the spine.

For example, one of these procedures focuses on disc regeneration. You’ve probably heard that cartilage, once it’s deteriorated from the jointed areas of your body, cannot regenerate. But, with adult stem cell treatment, it’s now possible to delay the degeneration process in a disc, reduce inflammation, and encourage healing and repair of damaged disc tissues. This procedure typically involves collecting a patient’s own stems cells, performing low-level decompression of an affected disc and any other minimally invasive spine procedure that may be required, and injecting the patient’s stem cells into the affected disc.

Another innovative, minimally invasive procedure that some surgery centers may offer is minimally invasive stabilization (MIS). This procedure gives many previously ineligible patients requiring spinal fusions an opportunity to find relief from neck and back pain via state-of-the-art, endoscopic spine stabilization procedures. Traditional spinal fusion is traditionally performed as a highly invasive open spine surgery, along with insertion of bulky hardware and bone grafts to promote vertebral fusion. Recovery from these surgeries is often lengthy and quite difficult for the patient.

An MIS procedure, on the other hand, is performed as an outpatient procedure, requires only small incisions and involves no muscle dissection. Decompression of neural structures and insertion of small, titanium hardware is completed via endoscopic means. The far less invasive nature of an MIS procedure allows a patient to go home within several hours following surgery and enjoy a less painful recovery that may take only weeks versus several months or longer following open spine surgery.

Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to minimally invasive surgery and alternatives to open back procedures .

Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications and is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including minimally invasive surgery and alternatives to open back procedures. http://www.lsiscottsdale.com/

Author Bio: Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to minimally invasive surgery and alternatives to open back procedures .

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