Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Specialist

What is minimally invasive spine surgery?

Minimally invasive spine surgery refers to surgical procedures to correct damage inside your spine. In contrast to open spine surgery, minimally invasive spine surgery requires one or more tiny incisions.

With the minimally invasive approach, you'll have less pain, less prominent scarring, less risk of surgical site infections, and an easier recovery overall. 

When might I need minimally invasive spine surgery?

Orthopaedic Institute of Dayton starts with a conservative approach, including physical therapy, rest, anti-inflammatory medication, and steroid injections if necessary. If those pain management treatments don't give you sufficient symptom relief, or if you have a notable disability due to a spine problem, minimally invasive surgery could be the right option for you. 

Some of the most common reasons that people may have minimally invasive spine surgery include:

• Disc herniation

• Spinal stenosis

• Degenerative disc disease

• Spinal infections

• Disc problems

• Spinal deformities

• Spinal tumors

• Vertebral compression fractures

There may be cases in which severe and highly complex spine problems require a traditional open surgery approach instead. 

What happens during minimally invasive spine surgery?

During minimally invasive spine surgery, your surgeon moves a scope — a long skinny tube with a camera and light at the end — through one of the short incisions close to your spine. Then, the camera generates a real-time video feed that your surgeon monitors on a screen nearby. 

Your surgeon may use tubular retractors — long hollow tubes that move tissue out of the way to make a direct tunnel to the surgical site. This approach displaces nearby tissue rather than cutting it, creating far less residual damage than open spine surgery. 

Your surgeon inserts surgical tools through either the same incision or additional small incisions to remove damaged bone or tissue, perform repairs, or do other kinds of corrections. 

How long is recovery after minimally invasive spine surgery?

Your Orthopaedic Institute of Dayton specialist explains the specifics of your expected recovery time before your surgery. Although minimally invasive spine surgery does offer a much faster recovery than open surgery, it's not a quick fix. 

Your body needs some time to recover, and it's important to have realistic expectations. For example, in the case of procedures like spinal fusion, a good result means a reduction (not complete elimination) of pain. 

Complete recovery could take a year or longer, depending upon the complexity of your procedure. Physical therapy after your surgery is very important in achieving the best possible result. 

Call Orthopaedic Institute of Dayton or click on the online booking tool for a surgery consultation now.