You can consider Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery if you suffer from a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis and non-surgical treatments have failed to offer relief. Surgeons access the spine with fewer incisions. Thanks to an endoscope and specialized medical equipment. The procedure entails a shorter hospital stay, a faster recovery, fewer complications, and reduced postoperative discomfort. However, minimally invasive medical methods are recommended for suitable candidates. LAMIS, a skilled neuro-interventional surgeon, has prepared this article to help you learn whether you qualify for the procedure, the different types, and the recovery process.
Everything You Should Need About Kansas Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Minimally invasive spine surgery is a surgical procedure on your spine’s bones. The procedure uses tinier incisions than open surgery. It results in less danger to surrounding tissues and muscles, minimal pain, and a quick recovery following the surgical procedure.
An open surgery makes an extended surgical cut down the patient’s back. The surgeon will move away tissues and muscles and sometimes remove some tissues.
During your Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery, your surgeon makes a tiny incision. Next, they will insert a tube-shaped device known as a tubular retractor. The tool will create a path to your problematic spine site and gently push aside the soft tissues and muscles around the site. Then, they will insert small tools via the incision to work on the affected area.
Your doctor will also use a surgical microscope to view real-time diagnostic images of your spine.
Why You Might Require Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS)
Most back pain patients do not require surgery. Your doctor will only advise the surgical procedure if you have a spine problem that has not improved with traditional treatment options like therapy or medication. If you experience severe pain, surgery can relieve it, but cannot fix every back problem. The physician will only recommend surgery if there is an issue that MISS can help with. It includes the following conditions:
- Infections in your spine.
- Tumor in the spine.
- Fractured vertebra.
- A flaw in your lower vertebrae (spondylolysis).
- Spinal deformities, including scoliosis.
- Spinal stenosis (spinal cord narrowing).
- Spinal instability.
How to Prepare for Your Spine Surgery
Proper preoperative preparation is vital to a successful procedure and ensures a smooth recovery. Here are some tips to consider:
- Stop smoking and drinking alcohol: they can hinder your recovery.
- Adjust your diet by increasing your antioxidant vegetables, fruits, and protein intake.
- Arrange for support from loved ones in the days after the surgery. It can include assistance with everyday tasks like. transportation, cleaning, and cooking.
- Arrange for transportation to and from the hospital. It is wise to drive yourself home.
- Discuss your medication with your doctor; some drugs could interfere with the procedure and your recovery.
- Wear comfortable, loose clothing, and leave your jewelry at home.
- Shower using an antibacterial soap before the procedure to lower your risk of infections.
Various Types of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
The qualified neurosurgeons at LAMIS routinely perform various Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery techniques, including the following (not limited to):
Minimally Invasive and Robotic Spinal Surgery
Robotic-assisted surgery uses robotic medical technology to guide spine surgery.
Conventionally, neurosurgeons have placed surgical equipment in the patient’s back, relying on their expertise, knowledge of human anatomy, and X-rays. The surgeon must keep their hands steady when operating close to vital nerves in tiny corridors using modern-day minimally invasive surgical procedures. Spinal surgery can sometimes be challenging and lengthy, causing neurosurgeons to be susceptible to physical and mental fatigue.
Robots can perfectly perform repetitive surgeries with almost endless endurance, eliminating potential fatigue-associated errors and leading to more predictable surgical outcomes for patients. Additionally, robots enhance the accuracy rate of medical procedures by eradicating the problem of unsteady hands in a surgeon, working on the exact programmed locations, and allowing surgeons to conduct precise motions while treating patients with complex anatomy.
Unlike image-guided surgery, robotic guidance reduces radiation exposure to the patient, surgeon, and other supporting staff.
Physicians have previously used robotic surgical systems with successful outcomes in spinal procedures, including the following:
- Correcting deformities in the spine.
- Minimally invasive decompression.
- Aesthetic prevention of nerve pain.
- Tumor resection.
- Revision spinal surgery.
- Vertebroplasty for compression of spinal fractures.
- Spinal fusion.
- Minimally invasive anterior, posterior fusion, and lateral.
You could be a suitable candidate for robotic spinal surgery if you require any spinal surgical procedure. However, robotic surgery uses vary widely. Factors influencing the use of robotic spinal surgery include the surgeon’s training and the availability of equipment. Discuss with your physician whether robotic spinal surgery could be an option for you and how it differs from other Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery options.
Spinal Fusion
Spinal fusion is a Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery that corrects issues with the tiny bones located in your vertebrae. The welding procedure fuses at least two vertebrae to heal into one solid bone.
The procedure eradicates motion between vertebrae. Moreover, it prevents the stretching of muscles, ligaments, and nerves. It is an ideal option when motion is the root cause of pain. To know the source of the pain, your physician could use imaging tests like X-rays, computed tomography scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Here are some back issues that spinal fusion can relieve:
- Spinal stenosis.
- Herniated disc.
- Fractured vertebrae.
- Scoliosis.
- Infection.
- Tumor.
The procedure uses a bone graft to enhance bone fusion. The bone graft also promotes bone healing by increasing bone promotion. Previously, doctors harvested bone grafts from patients’ pelvis (autografts). Today, they can acquire allografts from bone banks.
Foraminotomy Surgery
A foraminotomy is a spinal surgical procedure that widens the area surrounding the spinal column bones. The spinal surgery removes pressure on any compressed nerve.
The spinal column consists of a stack of bones known as vertebrae. Intervertebral discs (found above and beneath the flat part of every vertebra) provide support.
The spinal column accommodates your spine and safeguards it from harm. The spine sends sensory signals from your body to your brain and vice versa. Nerves are layered from your spine, receiving and sending these information signals. They exit your spinal column via the intervertebral foramen (a tiny hole) between your vertebrae.
Sometimes, the openings can be too tiny, and the compressed nerve can lead to symptoms like itchiness in your legs and arms, pain, and tingling. The signs you experience depend on the compressed nerve’s location in your spinal column.
For example, if your neck has a compressed nerve, it can result in neck pain, weakness in your arm and hand, and itchiness.
During a foraminotomy, your neurosurgeon will make an incision in your neck or back, exposing your affected vertebra. Then, they will surgically widen the intervertebral foramen to remove the existing blockages. The blockage can be a bulging disc or a bone spur.
Sometimes, your Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery expert can perform a laminectomy to remove part of your vertebra.
Laminectomy Spine Surgery
During a laminectomy, your doctor will remove your lamina (the back part of your vertebra covering and protecting the spinal canal). The surgery relieves pressure on your spinal nerves or spinal cord.
Doctors use a laminectomy to treat bone spurs, herniated discs, degenerative disc conditions, and lumbar stenosis. They can perform the procedure at any spine level.
Things to Expect When Recovering From Back Surgical Procedure
Your recovery depends on various factors, from your general health to the extent of your symptoms before treatment to your medical procedure. For example, spinal fusion merges two discs, and it could take up to one year to recover. On the other hand, a laminectomy takes out some tissue from the area around the spine, and our health will improve within 12 weeks. Back surgery requires time, care, and attention to ensure an effective and safe recovery. Please read this section to learn recovery tips to realize the best result.
A nurse will look after you until you regain consciousness. A tube will be placed in the back to remove fluid from the surgical wound. They will insert an intravenous line into your arm to administer pain medication, antibiotics, and fluids. They will also use electronic wraps or stockings to press your calves, improving your blood circulation and preventing blood clots.
Following the initial hours of your surgery, your doctor will move you to a standard hospital room. They will also teach you how to perform breathing exercises with a spirometer. You should exercise daily to facilitate your recovery. Anesthesia and pain medication can slow your breathing, clog the airways, and result in infections.
Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery is an outpatient procedure. However, the hospital stay can be between one and three days if you underwent a spinal fusion.
While rest is crucial, most physicians recommend engaging in physical therapy (PT) within twenty-four hours. If you require a back brace, they will teach you how to wear and remove it. Motion exercises assist in strengthening your legs and arms. Then, you will switch from your bed to a chair. Finally, you will utilize a walker; walking is ideal therapy following lower and upper spinal surgery.
You should continue exercising while at home to strengthen the spine. Your physician will advise you to increase the exercises gradually. Walking should be your primary exercise: the more you exercise, the quicker your recovery. Your PT expert should teach you to walk safely.
Regarding your sitting position, settle on a chair that has arms. You should have a great posture that keeps your back upright. Avoid sitting in one position for over 30 minutes, but ensure you do not twist the spine. Remember to move the ankles to promote blood circulation in your legs. Take short walks or quick naps during your break.
Sleeping promotes recovery, but you should use proper posture to safeguard your spine. Place a pillow beneath your knees and head when sleeping on the back. Place a pillow on your head and another between the knees while sleeping on your side. Use the “log roll” technique when leaving your bed. Bend the knees, roll onto your side, then push yourself up using your arms. Moreover, taking short daily naps after eating can promote recovery.
Other postoperative tips include the following:
- Take your medication as your physician has instructed you. Avoid aspirin and ibuprofen; they slow down recovery. Also, do not over-rely on medication.
- Keep your wound dry and clean.
- Watch out for symptoms of infection, like persistent pain, extreme temperature, abnormal discharge, increasing streaking, redness at the wound site, shortness of breath, and coughing.
- Contact your doctor if you have any concerns.
- Visit your surgeon about six weeks after the MISS for your follow-up care.
How Much Does Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Cost? Does Insurance Cover It?
How much you will spend on your Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery varies depending on the following factors:
- Your health condition.
- Your surgeon’s fee.
- The doctor’s geographical location.
- The length of the medical procedure.
- The doctor’s experience.
- The kind of MISS.
However, MISS is more pocket-friendly than open surgery. This is because minimally invasive surgeries are not necessarily performed in hospitals, and some patients return home after the procedure, eliminating hospital stay costs.
Spine surgery is not a cosmetic procedure; doctors perform it when other treatments fail. Therefore, insurance providers should cover costs, provided:
- your doctor determines it is medically necessary and
- you have met the insurer’s conservative care requirements.
The amount you pay out-of-pocket depends on your insurance coverage. You should consider your copays and deductibles; they vary with insurance plans. If you have a huge copay and deductible, you might pay a considerable amount out-of-pocket.
Before your procedure, you should confirm whether your Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery specialist will accept your insurance plan.
Contact a Skilled Neuro-Interventional Surgeon Near Me
The thought of undergoing spinal surgery can be frightening, especially if you do not know the broad advances in Kansas minimally invasive spine surgery options. The procedure involves making small incisions. A smaller incision equates to less trauma to tissues, reduced downtime, and less blood loss. Here at LAMIS, we always recommend surgery as the last resort when you have managed a chronic health condition for a long time and find that conventional treatments are ineffective. Please contact us at 310-734-6088 to schedule your medical consultation. We can review your health and help you choose the best treatment option for your condition.
