loading...

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Facts About Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Long Island Patients May Benefit From

By Gregory Bell


As the term suggests, minimally invasive surgery (MISS) is a conservative surgical procedure that involves the use of specialized instruments that limit disruption of surrounding soft tissues. It has the advantage of shorter period of time spent in hospital unlike the open procedure. Subsequent sections in this article expound more on facts regarding minimally invasive spine surgery Long Island patients may find beneficial.

Back pain, for the most part, is managed using pain relievers, lifestyle modification and other conservative measures. Surgical intervention comes in when medical management is unfruitful or when pain is too severe to be contained by medication only. Operations may also be life saving for trauma patients, for instance. Other conditions where surgical operation may be indicated include advanced osteoarthritis, infections and presence of a tumors, herniated discs and spinal stenosis.

Like in any other operation, the patient has to be adequately prepared for the surgery. The doctor will ask questions related to your condition. This may include questions such as how long you have had the condition, your past medical history, drug history and so forth. The patient will also be examined as a whole, with emphasis put on the back and related systems. In addition, certain investigations will be ordered to ascertain your fitness for the procedure. As a guide to the operation, an appropriate radiological investigation is carried out to get the exact location of disease. This may include X-rays or CT scans.

While minimally invasive surgery may pose less danger than the customary open surgery, equal attention should be given in preventing any possible complication. For instance, there needs to be backup blood for transfusion in case of excessive loss of blood during the procedure. Sterility should be observed throughout the operation to reduce the risk of infections. Fluoroscopy, a form of imaging study, is also very critical in guiding the surgical probe.

In spite of minimally invasive surgery being less risky, one should be on the look out for difficulties just as is done in open surgery . The doctor has to ensure the operating field is sterile, matching blood is available for any anticipated excessive bleeding, and that sensitive areas with nerves and blood vessels are avoided. This is facilitated through fluoroscopy, an imaging technique that guides the entire process.

Common surgical procedures in which the minimally invasive technique are used include spine decompression and fusion. Spinal decompression involves releasing pressure on nerve roots through either a discectomy (removal of a prolapsed disc) or laminectomy (removal of part of bone surrounding the spinal canal). Fusion, on the other hand, entails uniting two adjacent vertebrae.

One of the advantages of minimally invasive operation is the minimal pain post operatively. This is because of restricted interference with surrounding soft tissues and more focused incisions compared to the conventional type. Therefore, the patient will have a shorter hospital stay with fewer physiotherapy sessions.

In conclusion, despite having a higher learning curve for surgeons compared to the open technique, less invasive surgical operation has more advantages in general. It is a relatively new form technology that is bound to be fully embraced in the near future. It is important that patients are given all available options and risks related to each, before a decision is made on what approach is to be used.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment