Minimally Invasive Disc or Minimally Invasive spine surgery
Minimally Invasive spine surgery is a surgery with the objective of stabilizing the vertebral bones and spine joints, or to relieve pressure that is applied to the spinal nerves. It is called “Minimally invasive” because unlike the standard method of open surgery that uses a long incision down the back, this type of surgery uses smaller incisions which cause less harm to the nearby muscles and other tissues. As well, it leads to less pain and a faster recovery.
During the Minimally Invasive spine surgery the surgeon makes small incisions and inserts a device called a tubular retractor used to create a tunnel to the problem area. The small device gently pushes aside the muscles and soft tissue leading to the problem. Then through the channel the surgeon can insert small tools and work on the spine while getting real X-ray images of the spine via a special operating microscope.
The potential benefits from Minimally Invasive spine surgery are:
- Less blood loss
- Reduced risk of muscle damage
- Reduced risk of infection and postoperative pain
- Faster recovery
- Less rehabilitation