Different types of minimally invasive spine surgery offer new hope for patients

Many people who experience chronic back pain avoid seeking spine surgery to correct their affliction due to the long recovery time or for fear of surgical complications.

However, some physicians recommend that patients who have these concerns seek a consultation for minimally invasive spine surgery. New medical advancements that have been incorporated into these operations have been shown to improve outcomes for individuals with a wide range of conditions, particularly those with lower back pain, degenerative disc disease or herniated discs.

A recent article published by the Kahleej Times highlighted several options for minimally invasive spine surgery.

One of these is a tubular assisted procedure in which a spine surgeon uses a tubular retractor to create a tunnel through the patient's back muscles. This helps to reduce the risk of damage to the muscle tissue and is often called the "muscle-splitting approach," the newspaper reported.

Mini-open anterior spine surgery is another option available to patients who seek an alternative to fusion. This technique involves a much smaller incision, compared to open-back procedures. Therefore, it reduces the risk of blood loss during surgery and patients are less likely to develop surgical-site infections.

"Utilizing a minimal incision on the patient, the procedure uses a screw-like technique placed in between the sacroiliac joints in order to reduce the traction between the bones relieving patients of lower back pain," one industry insider told the news source.

During endoscopic spine surgery, a surgeon uses a tiny video camera called an endoscope to navigate his or her way through an incision that is usually less than 2 inches wide to the affected area of the spine. These tools are about the size of a dime, the news provider said.

In addition to shorter recovery periods, endoscopic spine surgery involves less scarring, smaller amounts of anesthesia during the operation and reduced post-operative pain, compared to traditional back surgery, according to SpinalStenosis.org.

Although minimally invasive spine surgeries are growing in popularity, Dr. Bryan Massoud, who is a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon at Spine Centers of America and an assistant clinical professor at Seton Hall Graduate School of Medicine, says that it is imperative for patients to seek a board certified spine surgeon who is actively involved in their pre- and post-operative care.

He explains that it is important for the operative surgeon to take the patient's history, conduct a physical examination and personally review the results of his or her MRI, cat scan and discogram screenings to determine what is causing back pain and recommend an appropriate minimally invasive spine surgery, if necessary.