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Spinal problems like disc herniation, instability, abnormal bone growth, tumors, or curve deformities sometimes push people toward spine surgery. These days, doctors often go for minimally invasive surgery to fix these issues, ease pain, or stabilize the spine. Instead of the old-school, big incisions, this approach uses much smaller cuts. That’s a big deal — it’s generally safer and people bounce back faster. Still, not everyone’s a candidate. Whether you get this kind of surgery depends on what’s actually going wrong in your spine.
Going minimally invasive usually means less risk of infection and less pain afterward. Muscle and tissue damage is also pretty minor. But look, it’s not risk-free. There’s still a chance of infection, even with those small incisions. There’s also a risk of nerve or spinal cord injury, which can be really serious, like causing paralysis. And sometimes, this type of surgery just doesn’t work out, and people end up needing another procedure — maybe even a traditional open surgery. The success rate for minimally invasive spine surgery is solid, but it doesn’t always beat the results of open surgery. So, it’s not the right fit for everyone facing spinal surgery.
What Is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery is a method of accessing your spine that creates less disruption to the muscles and tissues around it.
With traditional open surgery, the surgeon uses one large cut through the skin, pulls back a significant amount of muscle and tissue surrounding the bone so that he/she has clear access to the surgical site. As a result, it takes longer to heal and causes more pain after surgery.
In Minimally Invasive Surgical techniques, surgeons can use one or several small cuts through the skin, but also insert a metal tube (endoscope) through the cut into the bowel, allowing the surgeon to see a smaller area and work in a small workspace. The amount of disruption to the smooth muscle, soft tissue, and skin is much less than with traditional techniques, resulting in a shorter recovery period.
Open Surgery vs Minimal Invasive Surgery
The force used to retract the muscle during open surgery may result in damage to both the muscle itself as well as all surrounding soft tissues. Muscle retraction allows for greater visualization for the surgeon, yet the effect of that visualization causes far greater anatomical disruption than what the surgeon actually needs for his/her purposes. This results in a greater risk of injury to the muscle, and patients may experience a pain pattern that differs from their back pain prior to the surgery. This also increases the time it will take for the patient to recover; increased incision size and damage to soft tissue can potentially lead to increased blood loss and increased risk of infection.
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) was developed to reduce the amount of traumatic injury to other structures within the spine during surgery. This reduction in injury enables the surgeon to visualize only the area of the spinal column being addressed. Additionally, MISS can offer the surgeon several benefits compared to open spine surgery; smaller surgical incisions, less blood loss during surgery and fewer days spent in the hospital after surgery.
Compared to open spine surgeries, MISS procedures can be performed more quickly, with fewer complications, and will require a shorter recovery time.
Depending on the particular spinal ailment, a variety of minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) treatments may be carried out. The following are some typical kinds:
Microdiscectomy:
Microdiscectomy is performed on patients who have a herniated disc. The surgeon creates a small opening using an endoscope to identify the damaged portion of the disc that is causing pain by compressing the nerve root or spinal cord.
Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF):
TLIF is performed on patients with degenerative disc diseases or spinal instability. The surgeon uses a special device to create small openings and remove the damaged disc, replace it with a bone graft, and fuse it back together. This creates stability between the vertebrae.
Minimally Invasive Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF)
Minimally Invasive Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) is a surgical procedure similar to TLIF that involves performing the procedure through a small incision in the back. In PLIF, the damaged disc is removed, and a piece of bone is put in place of the damaged disc to help fuse the bones.
Minimally Invasive Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
Minimally Invasive Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) is a surgical procedure performed through a small incision in the abdomen. The damaged disc is removed, and a piece of bone is put in place of the damaged disc from the front of the spine.
Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty
Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty are both procedures done to treat compression fractures of the spine caused by osteoporosis and/or trauma. A special needle is used to inject a substance (typically a cement-like material) into the area. In vertebroplasty, the cement-like substance is injected to stabilise the bone. In kyphoplasty, a balloon is inserted first and inflated to regain height prior to injecting the cement.
Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation
Doctors use this technique to steady the spine, usually when someone has a spinal fracture or a deformity. Instead of making a big cut, they make just a few small ones. Then, they guide screws through the skin right into the vertebrae. They connect the screws with rods, locking everything together so the spine stays stable.
Laminectomy
Here, the surgeon removes a small piece of bone from one of your vertebrae. This takes pressure off the spinal cord and nerves, which can bring a lot of relief. They do all of this using minimally invasive tools, slipping them in through tiny incisions, and carefully taking out the lamina. It’s a precise job, but it helps people move and feel better.
Patient Evaluation: First, the doctor checks the patient’s medical history and runs some tests to figure out exactly what’s going on with their spine. Once they know the problem, they pick the right minimally invasive surgery for that person.
Anaesthesia: The patient gets anaesthesia so they don’t feel any pain or discomfort during the surgery.
Incision: The surgeon makes a few tiny cuts—less than an inch long—near the affected part of the spine. Sometimes they use real-time X-rays to make sure their instruments are in just the right spot.
Dilating or Tissue-Splitting Technique: Instead of cutting through muscles and tissues, the surgeon uses tubes to gently spread them apart. This creates a path to the spine without causing extra damage.
Visualisation and Instrumentation: An endoscope goes in through these tubes, giving the surgeon a clear look at the area that needs work. They might also use special cameras, microscopes, or even surgical lasers to get the job done.
Type of Treatment: The actual procedure depends on what the patient needs. It could be a discectomy, laminectomy, spinal fusion, or putting in spinal implants.
Closure: Once the surgery is finished, the surgeon removes the tools and closes up the tiny incisions with stitches.
Postoperative Care: Recovery is usually easier than with open surgery. Patients still need pain medication, infection prevention, and physical therapy, but there’s less hassle and fewer complications.
The cost of minimally invasive spine surgery in India ranges from USD 4860 to USD 5940. A number of variables, such as the patient's condition, the type of hospital chosen, and the severity of the illness, can affect the total cost of a medical procedure.
he following conditions can be managed or treated using minimally invasive spine surgery:
cervical spondylosis.
discs that are degenerative or "slipped."
disc herniation.
instability.
Kyphosis.
Scoliosis.
stenosis of the spine.
tumours in the spine.
compression fractures of the vertebrae.
The following describes some of the Risk Factors:
Infection
While the risk of infection is generally lower with Minimally Invasive Surgery than it is for traditional surgical procedures, there is still a risk. Preventive medications for infection help to decrease the risk of infection.
Bleeding
Even though it is a Minimally Invasive Surgery, there is still a risk of bleeding that may occur during or after surgery. In some cases, an individual may experience bleeding after the procedure is completed, and they may need a blood transfusion to treat the blood loss.
Nerve/Spinal Cord Injury
During a Minimally Invasive Surgery, there is a chance of injury to nearby nerves or to the spinal cord. If this occurs, it can cause weakness, numbness, or complete paralysis of the lower extremities.
Allergic Reactions
Artificial discs and surgical implants are made of many different materials, so people may develop an allergy to one of them.
Finding the Problem
Although minimally invasive spine surgical procedures may not always identify the underlying spinal condition at that time, future open spinal surgery may be needed.
Blood Clots
Staying in bed or being immobile for extended periods after surgery increases the chance of developing blood clots in the leg and/or lungs. To prevent blood clots from forming, your doctor may give you early mobility advice and prescribe blood-thinning medications.
Rarer Complications
Some complications associated with certain procedures occur less frequently than others. Examples of these less common complications include hardware failure after spinal fusion with implants, allergic reactions to a surgical implant, and fluid leaking into the area around the brain.
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