Why is it important for patients to undergo minimally invasive surgery?

If you are being told you are a candidate for spine surgery, then it is important to understand your orthopedic surgeon will perform the minimally invasive technique.

To make sure you get the treatment with the best approach and method, you should consult the best surgeon for spine surgery in Ludhiana. 

How minimally invasive surgery is different from open surgery?

Rather than performing the surgery through one large opening, minimally invasive surgery utilizes smaller incisions, though sometimes more than one incision is needed. The doctor will include special surgical instruments, like cameras and microscopes which help the surgeon to see the internal structures on a screen.

With open spine surgery, the surgeon will move or retract the muscles in the area to access the spine. They can damage the muscles and surrounding tissues.

What are the benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery?

• Less pain following surgery

The problem of decreased muscle injury and smaller incisions will result in less pain.

• Quicker recovery from surgery

The little damage which occurs to the tissues and muscles will help you feel faster with minimally invasive surgery

• Shorter hospital stays

Most of the procedures are performed as outpatient procedures which means you can go home on the same day. In some cases, the doctor might ask you to stay overnight for observation.

• Decreased complications following surgery

With minimally invasive surgery, there is less blood loss and due to smaller incisions, the risk of post-surgical infections is reduced.

• Minimal scarring following the treatment

The incisions are very small which are around half an inch long. This way you get better cosmetic results as compared to the open surgery.

What procedures can be performed with a minimally invasive technique?

The advancement made in technology can be used to treat several spine conditions which include herniated disc, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and sciatica. Some of the commonly used procedures include:

• Discectomy

The intervertebral disc acts as a shock absorber between the spine bones. With time, they can get damaged which results in a portion of the disc to herniate from its place. This puts pressure on the nerves which results in pain. The minimally invasive procedure can be performed to remove the part or all of the damaged disc which takes away the pressure from the nerves.

• Spinal decompression

With age, the spine opening gets narrowed down which puts pressure on the spinal cords and nerves that run through it. This results in weakness, pain, numbness, and sometimes radiating pain into the neck. The surgeon will remove the lamina part, the spine bony top, or widen the formania opening where nerves travel through the spinal cord and decompress the nerves and spinal cord.

• Spinal fusion

To get relief from chronic back pain and restore the spine stability, the minimally invasive spinal fusion can be performed. The procedure uses a bone graft to fuse the separate vertebrae into one solid bone.