Neck (cervical) and back (lumbar) pain are problems for many people. In fact, 80% of Americans have experienced some form of back pain and 50% cope with neck pain at some point in their lives. Often caused by degeneration of the discs that separate the vertebrae of the spine, this type of pain is among the most common reasons for doctor visits, and are major causes of disability, lost work days, and high healthcare costs. There are a variety of causes including disease, such as arthritis, or injury. Thankfully, the spine specialists on the medical staff at Texas Health Rockwall can address these problems through a number of treatment options, including minimally invasive techniques.
Minimally Invasive Surgery and Procedures: Neck and back surgeries performed with new instruments and techniques that require smaller incisions, resulting in less tissue disruption, less post-operative pain, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times compared to traditional open surgery.
Minimally Invasive Micro Discectomy: A minimally invasive surgical technique used to remove a herniated disc in the cervical or lumbar spine. A ruptured disc can press on nerves and cause symptoms such as extremity pain, numbness, weakness, electrical sensations, and bowel and bladder incontinence. Minimally Invasive Micro Discectomy differs from open microdiscectomy by using a smaller incision (approximately 1cm); the procedure usually takes about one hour, and the patient is often able to return home on the same day.
Minimally Invasive Posterior Lumbar Fusion: An operation performed on the spine from the back through one-inch (25mm) incisions. Utilizing minimally invasive techniques, a surgeon removed a portion of the affected disc space from the spine and replaces it with an implant and bone graft. For some patients, surgeons use Bone Morphogenetic Proteins so healthy bone does not have to be harvested. This procedure is for patients suffering from back and/or leg pain, especially those who have had previous abdominal surgery.
Traditional Procedures: Depending on the condition and diagnosis, some procedures are performed in a more traditional manner. Your surgeon is the best one to determine what your particular surgical needs may require. The following are just a few of the more traditional procedures that may be performed.
Total Disk Replacement: Surgery that treats painful degenerative disc disease of the cervical and lumbar spine. This approach is designed to preserve the motion of the disc space while reducing or eliminating pain.
Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF): An operation performed on the spine through an incision in the abdomen. A portion of the affected disc space is removed and replaced with an implant and bone graft. In some patients, surgeons can use Bone Morphogenetic Proteins as bone graft material instead of bone taken from another part of the patient’s body. This shortens operative time and eliminates pain associated with harvesting healthy bone for the graft.
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: An operation performed on the upper spine to relive pain and other symptoms in the neck, arms and legs caused by pressure on the spinal cord or other nerves. In this operation, the surgeon reaches the cervical spine through a small incision in the front of the neck. The damaged disc is removed and a bone graft or peek spacer is used to stabilize the spine. A plate and screws are applied for additional stability and to decrease the chance that the bone graft might be dislodged.
Posterior Lumbar Fusion: Sometimes called posterolateral spinal fusion or Transforminal lumbar interbody fusion; treats a disc space that has degenerated to the point that movement causes back and/or leg pain. It is performed through an incision made in the back and entails inserting a bond graft into the affected space. Titanium or stainless steel screws and rods may be inserted into the back of the spine for added stability. If fusion is successful, motion between the vertebrae stops and pain is relieved.
360 Lumbar Spinal Fusion: A surgery performed on the lower back that introduces an implant to replace a damaged disc. A device from the abdomen (anterior) of the body is held in place with screws is introduced from the is introduced from the front (anterior) of the body and held in place b screws introduced from the back (posterior) to provide more strength and stability after bone grafts heal.