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Spine surgery is a surgical procedure that is performed to relieve a person from pain because of spinal problems. It helps in stabilizing spinal joints and vertebral bones caused due to herniated discs, spinal abnormalities, bone spurs, spine injuries, or spinal tumors. Spine surgery is also known as Endoscopic Spine Surgery (ESS), Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS), and Arthroscopic Spine Surgery. These advanced techniques do not really affect the nearby muscles and tissues of the spine. Therefore, the pain and recovery duration is lesser compared to traditional spine surgery.
Max Health provides advanced and cost-effective spinal treatment to fix any spine-related deformity. Our clinics and partnered hospitals are well equipped with advanced medical technologies to make spine treatment the safest and most effective. Our orthopedic surgeons are extensively experienced in performing advanced and minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) in order to restore the normal function of the spine. You can also book your appointment with one of our best orthopedic doctors to get effective spine surgery.
The doctor conducts a physical examination to assess the spinal issues. S/he may ask you a few questions to understand the condition better. Commonly asked questions may include:
Once the physical examination is done, some diagnostic tests are also recommended to get a clear image of the spinal abnormality. The following are diagnostic tests that are commonly recommended-
Preparation before a spine surgery includes both physical and psychological aspects. Depending upon the condition of the injury, the doctor is likely to guide the patient with everything necessary. However, here are a few points that may come in handy for anyone planning spine surgery.
Endoscopic spine surgery is a medically-advanced, minimally invasive spine surgery designed to provide the patient with a quicker recovery time and less recurring pain compared to any traditional spine surgery methods.
Almost all kinds of endoscopic spine surgeries are performed using general anesthesia. This is considered to decrease any medical risks in patients who are older or who have any co-existing medical disorders. During endoscopic spine surgery, the doctor makes a small incision of approximately ¼ inch, guides a spinal needle, and inserts a guided wire through it. A metal dilator and a cannula are guided to the spinal disc. The doctor removes the wire and the dilator once the surgical portal is established. Through the endoscope, the doctor places micro-instruments to decompress the affected spinal nerves. The doctor then targets and resects the bone spurs and the herniated disc with precision.
After the surgery, the doctor injects a steroid medicine at the spinal area to relieve the patient of post-operative pain and discomfort. The cannula and the scope are then removed. Following this, the patient is moved to the recovery ward and monitored for a day.
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason behind spine surgery, however, the most common causes are back and cervical pain. The pain can result from a variety of degenerative bone and muscle conditions. The following are a few reasons for which an orthopedic surgeon may recommend spine surgery-
Advanced and minimally invasive surgery is a faster and safer surgical approach as opposed to conventional spine surgery. The method reduces the extent of trauma that might be caused to the muscles and soft tissues. The common benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery are:
Once you are home from the surgical center, it is time to focus on your recovery. Allowing the spine to heal properly, taking ample rest, and eating healthy foods are the keys. The best advice, however, is to follow the after-care tips by the spine surgeon for a speedy and safe recovery.
– Place a pillow under the knees or the back to keep the hips slightly bent.
– Don’t get up suddenly from the bed. Use the ‘log roll method.’
– While getting up, push your arms and legs rather than exerting pressure on the waist or back.
Ask your doctor if you may require physical therapy after the surgical treatment. Physiotherapy helps gain and build bone and muscle strength, and increase physical endurance. Ask your doctor if you need to include any form of exercise in the recovery regime.
The post-operative routine you adopt as part of your recovery from spine surgery can help prevent future or additional spine/health-related problems. So, it is important to maintain an active life, practice exercising, eat well, and get plenty of rest to stay on that recovery road for a long time
If you undergo minimally invasive spine surgery, you can resume your normal activities within 6-8 weeks, including bending, lifting, and twisting movements. However, some spine surgeries like spine fusion procedures may take longer recovery time depending on the location and severity of the condition.
You may have to stay in the hospital for a day or two based on the type of technique you have undergone to correct spinal injury or deformities. The surgery is performed through a minimally invasive approach which takes less time compared to conventional surgery.
Rehabilitation and physiotherapy for recovery after spine surgery begin right after you are discharged from the hospital. Your rehabilitation period may last 4-6 weeks or even longer, depending on the severity of the condition and the nature of the surgery performed.
The duration of a spine surgery depends on the complexity. But for most cases of minimally invasive spine surgery, the duration is approximately 1-2 hours.
Like any other surgery, there are certain risks associated with endoscopic spine surgery or MISS, such as:
Minimally invasive spine surgeries are typically safe. However, as spine surgeries are major, there are some complications associated with them. Spinal fusion surgery and laminectomy are among the most commonly performed MISS surgeries.
However, some complications that often associated with these surgeries are:
It is generally performed for spinal stenosis patients. The surgeon removes bony spurs or walls compressing the spinal column to relieve the nerve pressure.
Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are performed to fix compression fractures due to osteoporosis. The surgeon injects a glue-like bone cement that hardens and strengthens the vertebrae.
It is a slipped disc surgery that is performed to remove a herniated disc compressing the nerve root and spinal cord. It is often performed in conjunction with laminectomy.
This is performed to widen the spinal column where the nerve root exits the spinal canal in case it has narrowed due to aging.
Nucleoplasty, also called plasma disk decompression is a minimally invasive laser surgery in which the surgeon uses a plasma laser device to reduce the disk size and treat mild disk hernia.
The surgeon removes the spinal disc and fuses the adjacent vertebrae together using bone grafts or metal implants to allow the fusion of vertebrae together via the bone grafts, for example, ACDF surgery (Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion), TLIF surgery (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion).
For people with severely damaged vertebral discs, the surgeon removes the disc and replaces it with a synthetic implant to help restore vertebral height and movement.
