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Open Back Surgery or Spinal Fusion

Laser Spine Institute's endoscopic procedures are the safe and effective alternative to open neck or back surgery.

ENDOSCOPIC DISCECTOMY

A Laser Spine Institute procedure that relieves certain painful spinal conditions

Laser Spine Institute surgeons perform a minimally invasive procedure called an endoscopic discectomy to remove a portion of a herniated or bulging disc that is pinching the spinal cord or nerve root and causing pain. Two to three hours after the procedure, the patient can walk out of the surgical center without experiencing any of the disadvantages associated with conventional fusion surgery.

Fusion is a conventional surgical technique in which one or more of the vertebrae of the spine are joined together ("fused") to stop motion between them. In most instances, bone grafts are taken from other parts of the body. Using plates and screws, the bone grafts are attached to the vertebrae being fused. As the body heals after surgery, the grafts are expected to "take" or "fuse" the vertebrae together. This surgery is often recommended for people with degenerative disc disease and spondylolisthesis.

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But here's the problem: When you fuse an area of the spine, you lose mobility in that particular region. The spine is very mobile, and fusing vertebrae together causes extreme wear and tear on the vertebrae (and discs) above and below the area of the fusion as they try to compensate for the area that is now immobile. This can cause new herniated discs, bone spurs, foraminal narrowing, and spinal stenosis. Fusions cannot be reversed, either, and some patients who have them may experience a lifetime of spine problems and surgeries.

Fusions are too often performed for people with degenerative disc disease. The pain and symptoms of this condition all stem from nerve impingement. Cervical disc herniations (or bulging discs) treated with conventional surgery not only require removal of the entire herniated disc (discectomy), but also fusion. During this procedure, the surgeon removes the disc through an incision in the front of the neck and inserts a small piece of bone in place of the disc. Hardware is then placed to immobilize the area to allow the bone graft to fuse. This conventional type of spine surgery may cause more problems down the road, and recuperation is long and painful.

Laser Spine Institute's endoscopic spine surgery can remove the portion of the disc that has herniated without removing the entire disc. These procedures alleviate all pain and symptoms associated with the herniation while leaving the healthy portion of the disc intact.

Spondylolisthesis and Fusions

Spondylolisthesis is a slippage and/or shifting of the vertebrae out of place. Conventional surgeries require fusions with hardware and screws to shift the vertebrae back into position. However, the majority of pain and symptoms the patient experiences stem from the spinal stenosis, foraminal stenosis, or facet arthritis that develop as a result of spondylolisthesis, versus spondylolisthesis itself. Sadly, after conventional spinal surgery some patients find their spine condition to be worse than before the surgery. In contrast, Laser Spine Institute successfully treats spinal stenosis, foraminal stenosis and facet arthritis endoscopically. Our surgeons address chronic conditions without fusing the spine or adding hardware.

Thanks to advanced techniques and procedures performed by Laser Spine Institute's medical staff, there are excellent and simple alternatives to fusions. Depending on the area of the spine that is affected, a surgeon will perform a laminotomy or a foraminotomy to relieve nerve impingement. These minimally invasive procedures can relieve a patient's pain and symptoms without fusing the spine.

Laser Spine Institute offers various outpatient endoscopic procedures to relieve neck and back pain caused by spine conditions and nerve conditions. Procedures offered include foraminotomy, Laminotomy, endoscopic discectomy, facet thermal ablation, and fusion alternatives.

Advantages of having your spinal surgeries performed at Laser Spine Institute include no general anesthesia, no hospitalization, minimally invasive surgery, minimal scar tissue formation, and the availability of outpatient procedures.