The spine is one of the most delicate parts of the body ton operate on. It houses tissues that when injured have devastating consequences. Most surgeons are now opting for the safer yet more effective minimally invasive operation technique. When planning for minimally invasive spine surgery long island patients should be aware of a number of things regarding the operation.
The doctor will first need to take you through the process of diagnosis. It is worth noting that not all types of back pain are managed surgically. As a matter of fact most cases will be treated conservatively. The doctor will seek to find out more about your symptoms by taking a medical history and also subjecting you to a physical examination. Imaging studies such as CT scan and spine MRI are also often necessary.
It is important that you discuss with your doctor the merits and demerits of the available options. You should make a section to undergo the surgery only after you have understood what is involved. Preparing for the procedure is the same as any other operation. For instance, one has to stop smoking for sometime. There may be a need to also discontinue the use of some potentially harmful drugs such as blood thinners.
The major difference between this approach and the traditional technique is that in the former, smaller incisions are used. The surgeon uses these incisions to insert their instruments and perform the procedure. The main forms of operations that may be performed are spinal fusion and decompression.
Spinal fusion is a technique that is employed when the vertebral column is unstable for one reason or the other. The instability may result in problems in walking or other symptoms such as excessive back pain. The idea here is to join together two or more adjacent vertebral bodies so as to minimize excessive movement between them.
Depending on the site of the problem and its magnitude, you may be put under regional or general anaesthesia. Regional anaesthesia is mostly used when the affected area is lower down the spine (such as the lumber or sacral regions). With this from of anaesthesia, you will be awake throughout but you will not feel the area of your waist downwards. General anaesthesia, on the other hand, means that one is put to sleep for the entire duration.
A number of complications may arise from this procedure as is the case with many forms of surgical operations. The good news is that the rate of complications with the minimally invasive technique is lower as compared to traditional surgical techniques. Those most commonly encountered include pain and infections. The pain is usually responsive to over the counter analgesic agents and wanes over time. Infections can be preventing by taking a course of antibiotics before and after the operation.
The amount of time needed for recovery varies from one patient to another but is generally shorter than that required for patients undergoing the open procedure. Most patients are allowed home within two days as compared to five days if they are subjected to traditional surgery. Physical therapy is often recommend to help with the recovery process. One may resume most of their daily routine within a couple of days with full recovery occurring within a few months.
The doctor will first need to take you through the process of diagnosis. It is worth noting that not all types of back pain are managed surgically. As a matter of fact most cases will be treated conservatively. The doctor will seek to find out more about your symptoms by taking a medical history and also subjecting you to a physical examination. Imaging studies such as CT scan and spine MRI are also often necessary.
It is important that you discuss with your doctor the merits and demerits of the available options. You should make a section to undergo the surgery only after you have understood what is involved. Preparing for the procedure is the same as any other operation. For instance, one has to stop smoking for sometime. There may be a need to also discontinue the use of some potentially harmful drugs such as blood thinners.
The major difference between this approach and the traditional technique is that in the former, smaller incisions are used. The surgeon uses these incisions to insert their instruments and perform the procedure. The main forms of operations that may be performed are spinal fusion and decompression.
Spinal fusion is a technique that is employed when the vertebral column is unstable for one reason or the other. The instability may result in problems in walking or other symptoms such as excessive back pain. The idea here is to join together two or more adjacent vertebral bodies so as to minimize excessive movement between them.
Depending on the site of the problem and its magnitude, you may be put under regional or general anaesthesia. Regional anaesthesia is mostly used when the affected area is lower down the spine (such as the lumber or sacral regions). With this from of anaesthesia, you will be awake throughout but you will not feel the area of your waist downwards. General anaesthesia, on the other hand, means that one is put to sleep for the entire duration.
A number of complications may arise from this procedure as is the case with many forms of surgical operations. The good news is that the rate of complications with the minimally invasive technique is lower as compared to traditional surgical techniques. Those most commonly encountered include pain and infections. The pain is usually responsive to over the counter analgesic agents and wanes over time. Infections can be preventing by taking a course of antibiotics before and after the operation.
The amount of time needed for recovery varies from one patient to another but is generally shorter than that required for patients undergoing the open procedure. Most patients are allowed home within two days as compared to five days if they are subjected to traditional surgery. Physical therapy is often recommend to help with the recovery process. One may resume most of their daily routine within a couple of days with full recovery occurring within a few months.
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