Advantages of Endoscopic Procedures Over Traditional Spinal Surgery
This content was medically reviewed by Baher S. Yanni, MD, on November 4th, 2018.
Back and neck pain affects almost everyone at some point in their lives. Conditions like a herniated disc or spinal stenosis can cause painful spine symptoms that affect your ability to walk, sit or even live your everyday life pain-free. When conservative treatment options don’t work and degenerative spinal symptoms increase, your doctor may recommend a surgical procedure.
Today, endoscopic procedures offer a minimally invasive option that keeps many patients from having to undergo traditional spinal or open back surgery. Spinal endoscopy provides many advantages and in some cases can be performed as an outpatient procedure, allowing patients to go home the same day.
The knowledgeable and experienced surgeons at Spine INA offer endoscopic surgery, which combines advanced technology that’s less invasive and more effective to patients with back or neck pain. Read on to learn more about how these endoscopic procedures may be a good option for your condition.
What Is an Endoscopy?
An endoscopy involves the use of specialized instruments that allow doctors to view and operate on different parts of your body without making large incisions. After making a small cut or opening, they insert an endoscope, a flexible tube with a camera attached that gives the doctor the ability to see inside. When endoscopy is used for the spine, they’re able to use microsurgical tools to address many different conditions.
What Is Traditional Spinal Surgery?
Traditional spinal surgery is also called open spine surgery because it involves the surgeon creating a large incision in your back. Unlike minimally invasive surgery, this procedure involves dissecting spinal muscles and pulling them away from the bones to create an area for the surgeon to visualize the issue. To address the problem, they use instruments to cut material away. Once the surgery is complete, the incision is sutured.
The invasiveness of this procedure has many patients and doctors opting for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery because of its many advantages.
Benefits of Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Surgery
Open spine surgery can create a lot of bodily trauma, as it requires anesthesia, large incisions, a lengthy surgery time, muscle stripping, hospitalization and a long recovery time after the fact. Endoscopic surgery, on the other hand, causes less trauma to soft tissue and muscles, as well as a variety of other benefits, such as:
- Less surgery-related blood loss
- Less scarring and better cosmetic results due to smaller incisions
- Reduced pain postoperatively
- Reduced risk of infection
- No muscle cutting required
- Quicker recovery and less rehabilitation required
- Less need for pain relievers postoperatively
- Less time in the hospital, and in most cases, patients go home the same day
Find Out More About Endoscopic Procedures at Spine INA
If you struggle with neck or back pain and haven’t seen any improvement, then it’s time to speak to the team at Spine INA. Our orthopedic surgeons are available to guide you through treatment options, including the use of minimally invasive procedures like endoscopic surgery. Contact us to make your appointment today.
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