Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is a less invasive approach to the treatments and management of spinal disorders compared to conventional open surgical procedures. If you have a spinal cord condition that needs treatment, whether it is a herniated disk, spinal stenosis, or scoliosis, you should consider undergoing MISS.
This contemporary surgery technique can help with discomfort and enhance your way of life. It involves fewer cuts, less tissue harm, and quicker healing time. You should turn to a neuro-interventional surgeon to learn how to treat the condition and take the initial step toward healing.
At LAMIS Institute, we offer several minimally invasive spine surgery options in Minnesota to treat your specific spine condition. We will assess your condition and recommend the ideal Minnesota minimally invasive spine surgery, such as discectomy, kyphoplasty, or spinal fusion.
What Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Involves
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) is an advanced treatment for spinal conditions. During the surgery, your neuro-interventional surgeon utilizes specialized procedures and instruments with less bodily interference. Also, MIS does not involve using large incisions on the spine as in conventional open surgery. Instead, your neuro-interventional surgeon makes small incisions of less than an inch in size.
These tiny cuts allow the surgeon to pass a thin tube called a tubular retractor, which does not cut the muscles and tissues but pushes them aside. This procedure also spares the structures around the tumor from much damage, thus causing less pain and faster recovery.
When performing the procedure, your surgeon uses a high-definition endoscope. An endoscope is a fiber optic camera on the tip of a thin tube. These imaging procedures provide an enlarged picture of the spinal region with issues. The surgeon can then do the required reconstruction, for example, removing a herniated disk or reinforcing a fractured vertebra with great accuracy and without much harm to the other tissues.
A Minnesota minimally invasive spine surgery expert treats disorders such as herniated disks, spinal stenosis, and even some spinal deformities. This approach minimizes the adverse effects of open surgery, such as infection or blood loss. Also, because the muscles and tissues are spared, patients do not feel much pain after the operation and can resume their daily activities quickly.
With MISS, you have spine surgery done and are discharged from the hospital within the same day. That is usually doable through minimally invasive procedures. They also help minimize scar formation as smaller incisions shorten hospital stays and recovery days. For many patients, this means returning to work and enjoying life without the prolonged recovery phase associated with conventional spinal surgery.
Spinal Cord Conditions Needing an MISS Procedure
MISS procedures can treat certain spinal conditions. Knowing these conditions can help you make the right treatment choices.
- Herniated Disk. This condition occurs when the soft inner core of a spinal disk bulges out through a tear in the disk’s outer fibrous ring and compresses nerves.
- Arthritis/ Joint Inflammation/ Joint Pain. This problem may squeeze the spinal cord and nerves, causing pain, numbness, or weakness, especially in the legs.
- Spinal Deformities, like Scoliosis, affect the spine by causing it to curve in ways it should not. This may lead to pains, aches, and, in extreme cases, difficulty breathing.
- Fractured Vertebrae. Compression of the vertebrae can be due to trauma or osteoporosis. Any time a vertebra is broken, it results in intense pain and also instability of the spine.
- Spinal Tumors. Some spinal tumors, whether benign or malignant, may compress the nerves or the spinal cord, leading to pain and neurological signs.
Different Minnesota Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Options
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) encompasses various procedures. Each procedure addresses specific spinal conditions with the least possible disruption to your body.
Discectomy
Discectomy is surgery to remove part or all of a herniated disk that is putting pressure on a nerve, causing pain, weakness, or numbness. Your surgeon will make a small opening in the disk and then remove the part of the disk that is causing the problem and freeing the nerves that cause the pain.
This procedure does not involve extensive muscle dissection in conventional surgeries. Therefore, patients recover faster and experience less pain after surgery.
Lumbar Disc Arthroplasty
Lumbar disc arthroplasty or artificial disc replacement treats degenerative disc disease. The doctor removes the damaged disk and puts in an artificial one. An artificial disc mimics your spine’s natural movement, like how you twist and turn your back. This approach leaves more of your natural spine structure intact and provides more flexibility compared to spinal fusion, which is also used in cases of degenerative disc disease.
Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty is a procedure performed with a thin tube for spinal compression fractures, primarily due to osteoporosis. In this procedure, your surgeon will insert a deflated balloon into the cracked spinal bone through a small cut. The balloon is then inflated to regain the vertebra's height; the space left is filled with bone cement to fix the spine. This procedure helps alleviate the pain and also assists in avoiding any other breakages by strengthening the vertebra.
Resection of Synovial Cyst
Synovial cysts are swellings filled with fluid and can occur in the spinal area, thus causing pain and nerve pressure. Minnesota minimally invasive spine surgery can be applied in cases where these cysts are painful or present with neurological signs and symptoms. With minimal access, your surgeon will delicately remove the cyst and lessen the pressure on the nerves. You will be able to live an everyday life again with minimal scarring.
Spinal Cord Stimulator Implantation
Spinal cord stimulator implantation is a game-changer for patients who suffer from chronic pain that other therapies have not alleviated. This technique is performed under this MIS procedure, where a small device is inserted close to the spinal cord to prevent pain signals from reaching the brain.
Small holes will be made to reach the area where you want to stimulate the neuro-interventional surgeon, and then the stimulator and leads will be implanted.
Spinal Fusion
Another MIS is spinal fusion, applied to diseases like spinal instability or degenerative disc disease. In this process, your spine is stabilized through the process of joining two or more of your vertebrae together, making use of bone grafts, screws, and rods.
The MIS approach uses tiny cuts and affects fewer muscles than traditional spinal fusion surgery, reducing pain and recovery time.
Benefits Of Minnesota Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Choosing Minnesota minimally invasive spine surgery offers numerous benefits that can significantly impact your recovery and overall well-being. These include:
Less Stress On The Muscles And Tissue
Compared with open surgery, MIS is a technique that involves small incisions. Usually, it is smaller than one inch, and little muscle division is done. These lesser cuts do not cut the muscles and soft tissues around your spine but slide them aside.
Consequently, post-surgery pain will be reduced, which will enhance your comfort.
Lesser Days Admitted At The Hospital And Faster Days To Recovery
In traditional spine surgery, the patient is admitted for several days in the hospital and requires a long time to recover at home. However, with MIS, most patients are discharged the same day or within the next 24 hours after surgery.
The incisions are relatively small, with little to no tissue damage. That means the body can recover faster, and in the quickest time possible, you are out of the hospital and back to your everyday life.
Lowering The Chances Of Complications
MIS also lowers the incidence of complications like infections or high blood loss associated with traditional open surgeries. Also, MIS techniques are very accurate in their application. Coupled with imaging technologies, your surgeon can precisely locate the region that needs treatment while avoiding other tissues or causing harm. MIS minimizes the possibility of complications after the surgery, providing you with a safer surgery.
Smaller Scars
Cosmetically, MIS has the advantage of a small scar if one is very much concerned with the look of the operation area. Conventional open surgery entails the making of large, conspicuous incisions, which take a long time before healing happens. On the other hand, the approach in MIS entails making smaller incisions that cause small scars that are not very conspicuous and heal faster, thus making you gain more self-esteem as you go for body surgery.
Steps of Minnesota Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Below are the steps in MIS to help you mentally and physically prepare for your surgery.
Preparation and Pre-Surgery Phase
Preparation for Minnesota minimally invasive spine surgery does not start when you are admitted to the hospital. Your neuro-interventional surgeon first does an assessment. They will ask about your health status and probably examine you physically. Next, they recommend an MRI or CT scan to view the spine better. These images assist your surgeon to plan the procedure and see the exact location and type of the issue.
After the decision to proceed with MIS, you are given detailed guidelines for preparing for the surgery. Some medications must be stopped before the surgery because they thin the blood or have anti-inflammatory properties. Your surgeon may also advise on stopping smoking or eating a better diet, which can help your body heal faster after the procedure.
You will be asked to refrain from eating or drinking after a particular time the day before the operation. Fasting prevents any issues that may arise from the use of anesthesia. Also, you will be advised to find someone to take you home after the procedure since you could be drowsy or have difficulty walking after the surgery.
This is also the right time to ask questions or discuss any issues you may have before surgery. Be open with your surgeon to gather all the required information and be fully confident in undergoing MIS.
Surgery Phase
On the day of your surgery, in the preoperative area, you will have an intravenous (IV) line placed in your arm. This IV line will administer fluids, medications, and anesthesia during the surgery.
Once in the operating room, you are positioned to allow the surgeon optimal access to the area of your spine that needs treatment. The surgical team will clean and sterilize the skin over the surgical site to reduce the risk of infection. You will then be placed under anesthesia, either general or local, depending on the specifics of your procedure and your surgeon’s recommendations.
During the surgery itself, the neuro-interventional surgeon will make a small incision near the affected area of your spine. Using advanced imaging technology, such as fluoroscopy or real-time X-rays, the surgeon will guide specialized instruments through this incision to access the problematic part of your spine. The precise nature of the surgery will depend on your specific condition.
During surgery, your vital signs will be closely monitored for your safety.
Post-Surgery Phase
After your minimally invasive spine surgery, you’ll be moved to a recovery area where the medical team will monitor you as the anesthesia wears off. You might feel dizzy or disoriented at first, which is normal. Pain at the surgical site is also expected, but it should be manageable with the pain relief measures provided by your healthcare team.
In most cases, patients undergoing MIS can go home the same day or after an overnight stay. Before you are discharged, the medical team will ensure you can walk, eat, and use the restroom without difficulty. They will also give you detailed instructions on how to care for your incision, manage pain, and gradually resume normal activities.
You will likely be advised to avoid heavy lifting, twisting, or bending for several weeks to protect the surgical site and allow your spine to heal properly. You may also need to wear a brace or participate in physical therapy to support your recovery.
As you heal, you will have follow-up appointments with your neuro-interventional surgeon to monitor your progress and address any concerns.
Find a Minnesota Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Expert Near Me
Minimally invasive spine surgery is an effective treatment method for various spinal disorders with the least amount of pain, shorter time to heal, and fewer risks. Whether the condition is a herniated disk, spinal stenosis, or another spinal problem, MISS can help you return to your routines faster. If you suffer from a chronic backache, numbness, or any other signs that may likely be pointing to a spinal disorder, you need to see a neuro-interventional surgeon.
At LAMIS Institute, we use advanced Minnesota minimally invasive spine surgery methods to help you achieve the best possible results. We will listen to your complaints, identify the problem, and help you devise a suitable treatment plan.
For an appointment, please call us at 310-734-6088.
