Learn about Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

What Is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

Why, it’s right there in the name! Minimally invasive spine surgery, also known as MISS, is a surgical procedure that uses specialized tools to perform spine surgery using less invasive procedures. As compared to traditional open surgery, this procedure typically results in less post-operative pain, quicker recovery time, and with a smaller incision site. It may also reduce the harm caused to nearby muscles surrounding the spine during the procedure. In addition, MISS may be offered to you if you have chronic back pain stemming from certain conditions. Generally, there are two main objectives of this surgery.

• Relieve Pressure: Surgeons use this procedure to decompress, or remove pressures from, your spinal cord. Pressure in this area can be a result of stenosis or narrowing of the area around the spinal cord. This can cause pinched nerves and severe pain.
• Stabilize: Irregular movement of discs in the spine can cause pain. Using minimally invasive techniques, surgeons can fuse areas of the spinal column together to alleviate this pain.

The Procedure

In traditional spine surgery, your doctor would have to make a large incision across the entirety of your back. Because of this, muscles and tissues surrounding the spine would be seriously affected and potentially damaged. With MISS, your doctor will make a small incision and insert a tubular retractor. This tool acts as a tunnel leading directly to the problem area in the spine, minimally affecting surrounding areas. Your surgeon performs the operation with the assistance of real time x-ray technology to get an accurate representation of your spine.

Why Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery May Be Right for You

Typically, spine surgery is recommended only after non-surgical procedures, such as medications and physical therapy, have been tried over a period of time, and if the exact source of the pain can be identified, such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. Consider various conditions that could be improved via minimally invasive spine surgery. If you're suffering from radiating pain down your leg, you may be suffering from Lumbar Radiculopathy in Atlanta, and you should talk to your doctor to see if MISS would be beneficial for you. Lumbar Radiculopathy can be caused by general wear and tear over time and or a traumatic injury. It is nerve irritation in the spine as a result of damage to the discs between your vertebrae. It can also cause sciatica, or shooting pain in the leg. You can talk to your doctor about lumbar stenosis surgery in Atlanta to determine whether or not minimally invasive techniques can be used to help calm your pain. Stenosis surgery is a procedure used to ease the pressure in the spinal column caused by stenosis, or narrowing, of the column, which in turn puts pressure on the nerves and can cause inflammation and pain. MISS can also be used to treat scoliosis, degenerative disc diseases and herniated discs. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing serious back or sciatic pain to find out if you can be a candidate for MISS.