Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Specialist

Clifton Surgery Center

Surgery Center located in Clifton, NJ

Vascular surgeons undergo intensive training to diagnose and treat the full range of conditions that can affect your arteries and veins. The surgeons at Clifton Surgery Center are experts in performing the many types of vascular surgeries needed to repair and restore problems with your vascular system. To learn more about our advanced technology and state-of-the-art procedures, call the office in Clifton, New Jersey.

973-779-7210

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Q & A

What is minimally invasive spine surgery?

Minimally invasive spine surgery is performed using specialized surgical tools in long, narrow tubes that fit through a few small incisions. Surgeons may use a surgery microscope or an endoscope to view the surgical site.

Endoscopes are narrow tubes containing fiber-optic lights and a camera that your surgeon inserts through the tiny incisions. Surgery microscopes and endoscopes both provide a magnified 3D view, allowing your surgeon to perform procedures using tools inserted through a separate incision.

What are the benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery results in less tissue trauma compared to the large open incision of traditional surgery. As a result, you have:

Less pain following surgery
Quicker recovery
Minimal scarring
Lower risk of infection

Some types of minimally invasive spine surgery offer another distinct advantage: your muscles aren’t cut like they are during open surgery. Instead, your surgeon uses a device called a tubular retractor.

A very narrow tube is gently inserted into your muscle and down to your spine, expanding the tissue to create an opening while causing little to no trauma. Your surgeon places progressively larger tubes over the original tube, one on top of the next, gradually enlarging the opening until it’s the right size for performing surgery.

When your surgery is over, your surgeon removes the tubular retractor, and the muscle tissues shift back into place. Lack of trauma to your muscles is one of the reasons you can heal quickly after minimally invasive surgery.

What types of spine conditions are treated with minimally invasive surgery?

This list shows a few of the conditions commonly treated with minimally invasive spine surgery:

Herniated disc
Degenerative disc disease
Lumbar spinal stenosis
Spinal instability
Spondylolisthesis
Compression fractures
Spinal deformities
Spine tumors and infections

What surgical procedures are included in minimally invasive spine surgery?

Most of the surgical procedures once done with open surgery are now performed with minimally invasive surgery. Even if you need spine stabilization with screws or rods, your surgeon can put the devices into place through small incisions.

A few minimally invasive procedures often performed on the spine include:

Spinal fusion: fuses two vertebrae together to stabilize the spine
Discectomy: removes or trims a herniated disc
Foraminotomy: enlarges the opening where nerves enter and exit the spinal canal
Intradiscal electrothermal therapy: uses heat to relieve a painful disc by closing tears and disabling the nerve
Percutaneous mechanical disc decompression: an intradiscal procedure that removes a minimal amount of tissue from the center of a bulging disc
Kyphoplasty: stabilizes a spinal fracture after putting it back in a more normal position