Hawaii

Living with a spinal condition affects every aspect of your life—from the simplest movements to your overall well-being. Traditionally, spine surgery required large incisions, leading to long recovery times and increased risks of complications. Fortunately, medical advancements have brought minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS), a contemporary approach that promotes less pain and faster recovery.

MIS benefits patients seeking relief from spinal conditions in Hawaii. Neuro-interventional surgeons can use this technique to perform complex spinal procedures through small incisions, minimizing muscle and tissue damage.

If you suffer from spinal issues, consult LAMIS. Our neuro-interventional surgeons provide advanced spine treatment tailored to your specific needs. Contact us to explore how Hawaii minimally invasive spine surgery could help you treat your spine problem.

What Hawaii Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Involves

Minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) is a contemporary technique for performing spine surgery with the least tissue disruption. Unlike conventional open procedures that entail making large incisions to access the spine, MIS employs minimal access and tiny instruments. This technique involves less muscle cutting, less blood loss, and less pain after the surgery, resulting in a faster recovery.

MIS often uses real-time imaging, such as fluoroscopy or intraoperative CT scans, to accurately direct the surgeon. These imaging methods allow the surgeon to operate the spine and surrounding structures without making large incisions. Minimally invasive techniques plus intraoperative imaging reduce the risks inherent in the procedure and enhance the recovery rate.

General anesthesia is administered to you when undergoing Hawaii minimally invasive spine surgery. The neuro-interventional surgeon makes one or more tiny holes in the skin near the problematic area of the spine. These introduce specialized instruments into the operating area, including a tubular retractor. This device does not cut the muscles and tissues around the spine but only splits the muscles and tissues to allow the surgeon to operate the spice. The surgeon uses a tubular retractor to reduce as much damage to the tissue as possible; the retractor provides the surgeon with a small channel through which to operate.

The surgeon can view the spinal structures using a high-definition camera or surgical microscope. These advanced visualization tools improve the surgeon’s ability to treat conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or vertebral fractures without affecting the healthy tissue. In the case of disc removal or vertebrae fusion, MIS does not cause much disruption.

Spinal Cord Conditions Needing an MIS Procedure

Spinal conditions are diverse, and treatment needs to be personalized as the case warrants. MIS is a practical approach for treating spine ailments, especially those that require minimally invasive procedures. To understand when MIS is needed, you want to identify which cases can be effectively treated with this technique.

These conditions include:

  • Herniated disc. In this condition, the soft material inside your spinal disc protrudes through a rupture in the disc’s outer ring. This can compress the nearby nerves, causing pain, numbness or weakness that moves down your arms or legs.

  • Spinal stenosis. This is the constriction of the spinal canal that may lead to the compression of the spinal cord or nerves. Some signs of spinal stenosis include backache, tingling sensation, numbness, and muscle weakness.

  • Fractured vertebrae. Such fractures can occur due to injury, osteoporosis or even the formation of tumors.

  • Spinal deformities like scoliosis.

  • Spinal tumors.

Types of MIS Surgery Options

MIS comprises several procedures to treat spine disorders accurately and without causing much harm to the patient’s body. These procedures include:

Discectomy

Discectomy is a surgical operation to treat a herniated disc. When a disc herniates, its inner core pushes through the outer ring and can pressure the nerves around it, resulting in substantial pain, tingling, or weakness. 

In a minimally invasive discectomy, the surgeon makes a small incision and then uses several instruments to remove the damaged part of the disc. Surgery on the bulging part helps reduce pressure on the nerves and simultaneously tries to retain as much of the normal disc as possible. Small incisions also help lessen the cutting of muscles, hence less time to heal and less pain after the surgery.

Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion surgery is done to immobilize the spine through the permanent fusion of two or more vertebrae. This procedure is applied to cases of spondylolisthesis, spinal instability, and severe degenerative disc disease, among others. It is done through tiny openings made by the surgeon, where he uses rods, screws, and bone grafts to join the affected vertebrae.

This approach reduces muscle disruption and blood loss compared to traditional open fusion surgery, leading to a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery. Over time, the fused vertebrae grow together, forming a single solid bone, which reduces pain and prevents further instability.

Lumbar Disc Arthroplasty

Lumbar disc arthroplasty, also called artificial disc replacement, is a treatment for chronic low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease and is less invasive than other surgeries. Disc arthroplasty differs from spinal fusion in that the procedure involves replacing the disc with an artificial one intended to move like a natural one. This procedure retains the normal motion of the spine, relieves pain, and slows down the degenerative process of discs in the adjacent levels.

Kyphoplasty

Kyphoplasty is a less invasive procedure used to treat vertebral compression fractures caused by conditions like osteoporosis or trauma. The operation entails inserting a tiny balloon into the broken vertebral body through a small hole. 

The balloon is then carefully filled to provide space and regain the vertebra's height. Once the height is restored, the balloon is deflated and removed, and the fracture is fixed with bone cement. Kyphoplasty helps reduce pain, restore spinal deformity, and prevent further vertebrae collapse.

Spinal Cord Stimulator Implantation

Spinal cord stimulation can help patients with chronic pain that has not been manageable by other techniques. This non-surgical operation entails implanting an electrode system around the spinal cord to interfere with pain messages to the brain. 

Implantation entails making small cuts to place the stimulator’s leads and battery. Patients can often try the device in its working state before it is implanted permanently to ensure it relieves pain.

Benefits Of Hawaii Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

MIS has several advantages over traditional open spine surgery. These include:

  • Lesser Pain

MIS uses small incisions and specific instruments, leading to less muscle and tissue damage. Compared to conventional open surgery, which may require the surgeon to make a large incision through muscles, MIS simply pulls these tissues aside, thus reducing the trauma and the resultant pain after the surgery. This leads to less pain, therefore making the recovery process less painful, and the use of pain-relieving drugs, which may have side effects, is minimized.

  • Faster Recovery Time

Hawaii minimally invasive spine surgery is characterized by faster recovery time than traditional procedures. Because the smaller incisions cause minimal muscle damage, your body can recover faster.

  • Reduced Risks

Minimally invasive surgeries reduce the risk of infection because internal tissues are less exposed to external germs.

Surgical bleeding is also reduced, minimizing the need for blood transfusion and other measures that may be required during surgery. Similarly, the accuracy of minimally invasive procedures, facilitated by real-time imaging, reduces the risk of injury to nerves and other vital structures in the spinal region. This accuracy contributes to safer procedures and minimizes the aftermath of postoperative complications.

  • Minimal Scarring

Conventional operations that involve the spine are known to create large, easily visible incisions that can cause pain and embarrassment. Minimally invasive spine surgery involves using incisions that are approximately 2.5 cm in size. Such small cuts leave little marks that are not embarrassing and help you regain your physical and mental health faster. A small scar is good for the patient's aesthetic value, and the patient will not be sensitive to the surgical site.

  • Better Long-Term Spinal Health

Compared to the traditional methods of spinal fusion, MIS preserves more of your natural spine anatomy, such as muscles and ligaments that help support spinal stability and functionality. This preservation can lead to better long-term outcomes to avoid any other back issues or more surgeries. Several patients also testified that they had improved self-confidence in their mobility and reduced chronic pain as opposed to other open spine surgery.

Steps of Hawaii Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

MIS is a planned and organized approach. Learning each phase is essential to feeling more prepared and confident while starting treatment.

Preparation and Pre-Surgery Phase

Preoperative preparation for Hawaii minimally invasive spine surgery is done well before the day of the operation. First, the physician assesses your medical record, general health, and spinal situation. During an initial appointment, the surgeon talks to the patient about their symptoms and previous imaging tests like X-rays or MRIs and performs a physical examination. This information lets your surgeon decide whether you are suitable for a minimally invasive approach and which procedure will best treat your condition.

However, preoperative examinations are critical before any surgical intervention. This may involve blood tests, a general check-up, and other tests, such as MRI scans, to obtain better pictures of the spinal region. 

These tests also help ensure that you are healthy to undergo the surgery and that the surgeon has all the correct details about your spine. Your surgeon will also want to know about any medications you take since some may be contraindicated before surgery.

You will receive specific guidelines on preparing for the surgery, such as fasting before the surgery, avoiding some medications, and finding means of transport to and from the surgeon's office. You also learn what to expect on the day of surgery, during recovery, and for the number of weeks after the surgery. This could help you avoid anxiety and ensure all procedures are well coordinated.

Surgery Phase

The healthcare team will admit you to the hospital or an outpatient surgical office on the day of your surgery. A team of neuro-interventional surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses will attend to you and guide you through each step. Your medical history will be rechecked, and any questions you might have will be answered before being transferred to the operating theater.

With Hawaii minimally invasive spine surgery, the surgeon uses contemporary instruments and a high-definition endoscope. This camera is inserted through a small incision to show real-time images on a monitor. The surgeon can then maneuver around the delicate structures of the spine. 

Sometimes, special instruments may be used through these small incisions to remove a herniated disc, decompress the nerves in the spine, or put rods and screws to stabilize the spine. These small incisions cause less damage to muscles and tissues, leading to less blood loss, and are less likely to cause an infection.

The surgical team also closely monitors your vital signs during the procedure to guarantee your safety. The surgeon is very particular and meticulous to fix the problem with the spine and avoid removing too much of the healthy tissue. Using minimally invasive methods reduces the time of surgery and, therefore, the time required for recovery. When the required modifications or mending has been done, the surgeon stitches the cuts, and a sterile dressing is placed over the area to cover it.

Post-Surgery Phase

After surgery, you are transferred to a recovery area where your condition will be closely observed while you are coming off the effects of anesthesia. The postoperative period of the recovery is short. Patients can move freely within several hours after the surgery. Some patients may feel moderate to mild pain around the areas where the incisions were made, and this is significantly less severe than that of conventional open spine surgery. You will be given pain relief medication and asked to make some movements to enhance blood circulation and avert stiffness.

The time you spend in the hospital depends on the type of surgery done or any other illness you might have. Most people undergoing Hawaii minimally invasive spine surgery can go home the same day or the next morning. 

Before you are discharged from the hospital, you are given specific instructions on caring for your wound, the restrictions you must adhere to, and the medications to take. Special care has to be taken to promote healing. Your surgeon will also guide you on how and when to return to your routine, including walking, driving, and returning to work.

You must ensure that you go for follow-up appointments after the operation to check your progress. In these follow-up visits, your surgeon will evaluate your progress and answer any questions you may have while modifying your treatment plan. Lumbar support exercises can be advised to improve the strength of muscles in the back, address the issue of flexibility, and help in the healing process. This is done to ensure that you can move and go on with your daily activities with minimal pain and disability as soon as possible.

Book a Hawaii Neuro-Interventional Surgeon Near Me

Minimally invasive spine surgery is a contemporary approach with more benefits than traditional open surgery. With reduced pain, faster recovery, and minimal scarring, it represents a beacon of hope for those suffering from debilitating spinal conditions. 

At LAMIS in Hawaii, our highly skilled neuro-interventional surgeons provide patients with the highest level of care. We specialize in several MIS procedures to treat conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, vertebral fractures, and many more. Our advanced surgical techniques and patient-centered care ensure you receive quality treatment.

If you are struggling with chronic back pain or other spinal issues, call us at 310-734-6088 to book your appointment. 

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