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Types of Back Surgery

Sometimes, back surgery is the only option to alleviate a patient’s back or neck pain. Doctors will always try and manage the symptoms conservatively first, but if the patient doesn’t respond to non-surgical treatment, or the symptoms are debilitating, back surgery becomes necessary.

If this is the case, the patient has a number of potential surgical options, depending on the source of the problem. The most common site of back surgery is along the lumbar spine (lower back). The lower back has tremendous flexibility and a heavy weight burden, so this area of the spine often needs surgery to repair the injuries and degeneration that the lower back is vulnerable to. The cervical spine (neck) – which supports a wide range of movement for the head and shoulders – is also a frequent site of surgery. Thoracic spine surgery (mid back) is fairly uncommon because this area of the spine is anchored by the ribcage and does not have the same range of motion as the cervical and lumbar segments.

Traditionally, open-back surgery has been used to treat a herniated disc or other spine condition that has not responded to conservative treatments like medication, rest, and exercise. For example, a patient suffering from degenerative disc disease might be told he or she needs a discectomy and spinal fusion, where the disc is removed and the vertebrae on the top and bottom of the removed disc are fused together with a bone graft and hardware.

Unfortunately, a number of potential complications can be associated with open back surgery, including: the use of general anesthesia, infection or hemorrhaging at the surgical site, the presence of scar tissue exacerbating pain, failed fusion, continued local or radiating pain, and a recovery time of months or years. In the case of a spinal fusion, the body may reject the bone graft, or the pain may be transferred to another segment of the spine. Furthermore, the patient with a fused spine can expect decreased spinal mobility and flexibility.

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With recent advances in laser technology and orthopedic surgery, endoscopic spine surgery has become increasingly popular. At Laser Spine Institute (LSI), we perform more outpatient, minimally invasive, endoscopic spine surgeries than any other facility in the world. We are able to treat many of the same spine problems that are addressed with open back surgery, but our procedures provide the benefits of a much shorter recovery time, high success rates, and fewer risks. At LSI, our procedures are performed with small incisions, gentle lasers, micro-instruments, and tiny cameras. Thanks to these innovations, almost all of our patients to leave our facility on their own accord within hours of their procedure.

For more information on the types of minimally invasive procedures available at LSI, and to receive a free review of your MRI or CT scan to find out if you are a candidate, contact LSI today.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.