The thought of undergoing neck surgery can be overwhelming and patients should carefully consider all of their surgical options before agreeing to any specific procedure. While highly invasive open neck surgery is quite common, the innovative techniques perfected by Laser Spine Institute’s surgeons allow certain patients to undergo a minimally invasive alternative. Laser Spine Institute’s advanced endoscopic surgeries can effectively relieve pressure from the spinal cord or nerve roots that are compressed, or pinched, by anatomical abnormalities, such as bulging or herniated discs, calcified ligaments, bone spurs, and others.
Types of Back and Neck Surgery Available
Although the orthopedic experts at Laser Spine Institute can perform several different types of minimally invasive decompression neck surgery, the method of accessing the affected area of the neck is the same among our different endoscopic procedures. First, a surgeon will make an incision approximately one inch in length in the neck near the location of nerve compression. Next, he or she will insert a series of tubes that increase in size into the incision to slowly and carefully part the tissues from the surface of the skin down to the spine. Through these tubes, an endoscope (camera), tiny surgical tools, and a laser are funneled. Once the surgeon has the tools in position to work on the affected area of the neck, one of the following procedures may be performed:
- Laminotomy – involves the removal of lamina bone, or the thin plates that form a protective arch around the back of the spinal cord, to relieve pressure on a nerve tissue; the procedure may also remove bone spurs in the process
- Foraminotomy – involves the removal of bone surrounding a foramen (one of the canals through which the spinal nerve roots travel) to relieve pressure on a neural structure; bone spurs may also be removed in the process
- Percutaneous discectomy – involves the removal of a portion of bulging or herniated disc material compressing a neural structure
- Facet thermal ablation – involves the cleaning of an arthritic facet joint and the deadening of the nerve ending that allows the facet joint to feel pain (similar to a root canal
Schedule Your Complimentary Consultation
To determine whether you’re a candidate for one of Laser Spine Institute’s minimally invasive neck surgery options, contact one of our surgical centers or consultation facilities conveniently located across the country. We’ll be happy to offer you a complimentary review of your MRI or CT scan and discuss the treatments available to address your neck pain.
