If conservative treatment has failed and your pain is prolonged and incapacitating, spine surgery may be an alternative. Your orthopedic physician may propose one of the dozens of various back and spine operations. Dayton spine surgery is usually advised only after non-surgical, less invasive therapies such as physical therapy, injections, or acupuncture have failed. If you have exhausted all non-surgical options, your MRI and X-ray show a curable structural problem, and your physician’s evaluation indicates a disease or deformity that can be corrected with surgery, this may be the best option.
Prevalent Spine surgical operations
A variety of disorders may necessitate spine surgery. Typical techniques include:
- Discectomy or microdiscectomy: This is the surgical removal of a herniated intervertebral disc. Thus, the compressed nerve is relieved of pressure. A MISS procedure is a microdiscectomy.
- Laminectomy: This is the removal of the laminae, which are thin bony plates on the back of the vertebrae, to expand room within the spinal canal and relieve pressure.
- Laminotomy: This is the surgical removal of a section of the vertebral arch (lamina) that covers the spinal cord. A laminotomy procedure involves the removal of less bone than a laminectomy. Laminectomy and laminotomy are both decompression surgeries. The term “decompression” commonly refers to the removal of tissue that is compressing a spinal nerve.
- Foraminotomy: It is the surgical removal of bone or tissue from the pathway (called the neuroforamen) via which nerve roots split off the spinal cord and leave the spinal column.
- Disc replacement: Instead of fusion, the damaged disc is replaced with a synthetic one.
- Spinal fusion: It is a surgical procedure that joins two vertebrae. A bone transplant with or without instrumentation may be used in spinal fusion (e.g., rods, screws). There are two bone grafts: your own bone (autograft) and donor bone (allograft).
Additionally, consider seeking a second opinion from a skilled spine expert before agreeing to spinal surgery. Spine doctors may disagree on when to operate, what sort of surgery to conduct, and whether surgery is even necessary for some spine disorders. Back and leg pain can be a complex problem that needs the collaboration of several health specialists to identify and treat.
Open surgery vs. minimally invasive spinal surgery
Generally, spine surgery has been conducted as an open procedure. This requires a large incision in the surgical site to let the surgeon examine and access the spinal structure. However, technological advancements have enabled many spine disorders to be treated with minimally invasive treatments. Because minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) avoids large incisions, open manipulation of the muscles and tissue around the spine is avoided, resulting in a shortened operating time. Minimizing intraoperative (during surgery) soft tissue manipulation reduced postoperative discomfort and a speedier recovery.
If surgery is your sole option, you should know that minimally invasive spine surgery has several advantages. Patients who desire to return to work or active play, as well as the elderly or those with severe spinal difficulties, typically obtain a greater degree of function once their symptoms have been relieved. Call Vertrae® or book your appointment online to learn more about spine surgery procedures.
