Home > Explore Your Treatment Options > Surgical Treatment for Back and Neck Pain > Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

• "CONSERVATIVE" TREATMENT
• SURGICAL TREATMENTS
  • Discectomy
  • Spinal Fusion
  • Total Disc Replacement
  • Laminectomy
  • Corpectomy
  • Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
  • Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty
  • Potential Complications
    of Surgery
  • Post-Surgery Care and Rehabilitation
• TIPS FOR A HEALTHY BACK AND NECK

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Minimally invasive spine surgery is an approach in which special surgical instruments are used to see inside the body and perform surgery without the need for a large incision. The increase in minimally invasive spine surgery techniques has been made possible by advances in lasers, endoscopy (en-dos-co-pee), and image guidance systems.¹ Although there are risks associated with any type of surgery, including minimally invasive spine surgery, minimally invasive spine surgery offers several advantages over traditional open surgery approaches. The advantages of minimally invasive spine surgery include:

• Less muscle injury²
• Less blood loss²
• Less post-operative pain
• Faster rehabilitation²
• Smaller scar
• Shorter hospital stay²
• Faster return to activities of daily living including work²

Not all types of spine surgery can be performed using a minimally invasive technique, and minimally invasive spine surgery is not recommended for everyone. If your doctor has recommended spine surgery, ask whether minimally invasive spine surgery may be right for you.

¹Jaikumar S, Kim DH, Kam AC. History of minimally invasive spine surgery. Neurosurg. 2002;51(5 Suppl):S1-S14.

²Datamonitor. Stakeholder opinions: Minimally invasive spinal surgery. Product Code: DMHC1938. Published Dec-03. Available at: http://www.datamonitor.com. Accessed: July 5, 2006.