| Medical and Surgical Treatments
The best treatment for each patient must be based on an accurate diagnosis. Although it is appealing to have the latest procedure, the newest medication, the smallest micro-surgery or arthroscopic surgery, best treatment must be appropriate for each individual patient’s condition. Treatment must also be based on scientific evidence, not marketing on television or in news magazines. At SpineCare, we pride ourselves on making correct and complete diagnoses, and then offering our patients the most effective treatment for their unique problems. We cannot jump at the latest fad, things that have not been proven to work. Our patients and our reputation mean too much for that.
Spine surgery must be taken seriously. It is imperative to select the right procedure for the right patient at the right time.
Many of the terms discussed here are also defined in the SpineCare glossary and illustrated in the section on anatomy. |
Minimally Invasive Surgery
The goal of minimally invasive surgery is to help relieve the pain with
the least damage to normal tissues, minimize the hospital stay, and minimize
the risk.
There are several forms of minimally invasive surgery.
Laminotomy
Laminotomy is the minimally invasive surgery performed most often. A very
small portion of bone (called the lamina) is removed to gain access to
the disc. Then a disc herniation is removed. For many patients, the surgery
takes less than one hour, and the patient can go home on the same day.
This surgery is usually very effective for a disc herniation that is pressing
on a nerve and causing only leg pain.It does not usually work for low
back pain.
Microdiscectomy
Microdiscectomy is useful for leg pain due to a disc herniation that is
pressing on a nerve. Microdiscectomy is effective in almost 90% of patients
who have the appropriate indications. It is an outpatient procedure, and
95% of patients go home the same day. There is no need to cut any muscle,
and therefore, there is much less pain from the procedure itself. A tiny
hole is made in the skin and a retractor is placed in the hole. Then the
muscle tissue is gently pushed to the side to allow the surgeon to get
to the disc herniation.The microscope is used to help the surgeon see
the disc and nerves clearly. It also allows the surgeon to make only a
very small incision.
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