One of the reasons many patients avoid back surgery is because it’s so invasive and complicated to recover from, especially in terms of the time required. However, when you work with a professional surgery center that has expert doctors on staff, this process becomes a lot more feasible because of minimally invasive spine surgery. Not only do these procedures take less time to recover from but they are easier for your body to handle in general.
The way minimally invasive procedures work in spine surgery is through very small incisions that don’t require a lot of stitches or staples. There are usually three different places these incisions can be made depending on the patient: the chest, abdomen or back. Most of the time, the minimally invasive procedures are used for herniated disks, scoliosis deformities, spinal tumor decompression, repair of compressional fractures and spinal fusion, which repairs degenerative disks. It will be important to talk to your doctor and determine if your needs fit into these categories.
There are quite a few benefits to having this type of procedure done over the regular surgical process. This obviously includes a shorter recovery time and shorter hospital stay, but also fewer scars overall. The scars will be much smaller because of the laser incisions that are used. As a patient, you’ll experience less pain once the procedure is completed and you’ll most likely be able to return to work or your regular lifestyle sooner. Finally, there is a smaller risk of infection and you lose less blood during the entire surgery.
Because this procedure is minimally invasive doesn’t mean that all risks are eliminated, but it does reduce many of them. Your surgeon will explain that blood clots can occur, there is a possibility of pneumonia and you could experience some type of reaction to the anesthesia as well. In order to avoid major problems, you’ll have to have your surgeon look at your medical history in particular. To prepare for this kind of procedure, you need to keep up on your exercise routine and avoid any unhealthy habits. This will make sure your body is in the best shape possible to handle the demands of surgery and also to recover fully. Don’t stop taking any prescribed medications of course before you ask your doctor during this process. Once you’re fully informed, then you can set the surgery date with your doctor and prepare to have a better life afterward.
If you are interested in minimally invasive spinal surgery, contact us today.