Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is a modern surgical technique designed to treat spine conditions with smaller incisions, less tissue disruption, and faster recovery times compared to traditional open spine surgery. MISS uses specialized instruments, such as endoscopes, small cameras, and robotic guidance systems, to access the spine through tiny incisions, often as small as a few millimeters.
This technique is commonly used to treat conditions like herniated discs, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, and spinal fractures. Unlike traditional approaches that require large incisions and muscle retraction, minimally invasive procedures focus on smaller incisions, which lead to less muscle and tissue damage, reduced blood loss, and a lower risk of infection.
Benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery include:
- Shorter hospital stays
- Faster recovery times
- Reduced post-operative pain
- Smaller scars
- Less risk of complications
Patients can often return to daily activities more quickly than with open surgery, and the procedure can be done on an outpatient basis or with a brief hospital stay. Preoperative imaging, such as CT or MRI scans, is essential for planning the surgery and ensuring precision.
Minimally invasive techniques, including percutaneous spinal fusion, microdiscectomy, and endoscopic spinal surgery, represent a significant advancement in spine care, offering patients safer and more effective treatment options with fewer complications.