For the past few years, minimally invasive spine surgery has described several different procedures. Professional spine societies are now working to narrow the definition of proven minimally invasive procedures and promoting the education and use of these procedures with appropriately indicated patients. Anthony T. Yeung, MD, an endoscopic spine surgeon with Desert Institute for Spine […]

Wolfgang Rauschning’s work illustrating the patho-anatomy of degenerative disc disease and degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine serves as a basis for treating pathologic findings with tissue-sparing, minimally invasive spine surgery. (1) Ideally, surgical interventional approaches should preserve normal anatomy and access the patho-anatomy without injuring normal tissue. The dorsal muscle column, if compromised as […]

When the conservative methods of herniated disc treatment don’t help your pain, you might be ready to try minimally-invasive laser spine surgery, or PLDD. PLDD is the laser-assisted, minimally invasive procedure designed to treat back pain caused by a herniated disc. When a vertebrae-cushioning disc shifts, material from it can interfere with the spinal canal […]

How do they compare? Today, many different types of spine surgery can be performed utilizing minimally invasive techniques, with smaller incisions, fewer risks of complication, decreased recovery time, and minimal scarring. Big Incision vs. Small Incision In open back spine surgery, a five- to six-inch incision may be needed in order to see the affected […]

Only 10 years ago, if you had spine surgery, you could expect it to take as much as one year before you would be able return to normal activities. Minimally invasive techniques, however, are changing the face of spine surgery. What used to result in a week-long hospital stay, a year’s recovery period and a […]

Using innovative techniques, cutting-edge technology, and evidence-based medicine, minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) may be a treatment option for your spinal disorder or chronic back and neck pain. There are several possible benefits of minimally-invasive spine surgery, compared to traditional big-incision open spine surgery. Some of them are: