Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is a type of surgery on your spine (backbone). This type of surgery uses smaller incisions or no incisions at all, which can be extensive in open standard spine surgery. This often causes no harm to nearby muscles and other tissues. It leads to less pain and faster recovery after surgery.
Most people who have back pain will not need surgery. Your healthcare provider might advise spine surgery/ procedure if you have a back problem that hasn't gotten better with another treatment, such as medicine or physical therapy.
Your doctor will only advise spine surgery/ procedure, if you have a type of problem that can be taken care of by a minimally invasive procedure. This includes conditions such as: disc prolapse, protrusion with or without leg or neck pain. However, all the procedures will have their limitations and all type of open surgery or minimally invasive procedures cannot be offered to all kind of spinal disc problems. Your doctor will have to examine you and with the help of appropriate investigations will be able to decide the right technique appropriate for your diseases.
The type of procedure selection will depend on the type of disc prolapsed and the symptoms, and the MRI picture, which your doctor will discuss beforehand with you during the OPD consultation.
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) can be done under local anesthesia with mild sedation to relieve your anxiety and to give you a comfortable experience during the procedure. The whole duration of all the minimally invasive techniques may take between 20 to 30 minutes. All the procedures require the insertion of a needle or a cannula, which may give you a pinching feeling and can be done without incision or only a 2mm incision, which will lead to no blood loss and no tissue damage. Then depending upon the type of procedure LASER, Radiofrequency ablation, DISKOM or Endoscopic discectomy, the appropriate instrument will be inserted through the working channel. All the procedures involve decompression of the disc and freeing the compressed nerve root, thereby relieving you of that incapacitating pain in the back or arm/legs. A sample of the disc may be collected if required to send for histopathology diagnosis.
After the Procedure:After the procedure, you will be shifted to the recovery room and then to your room, where by evening you should be comfortable enough to be discharged.
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) takes about 30 minutes. You shouldn’t experience a great deal of pain afterward but may feel a little sore. You don’t even have to worry about stitches; your incision will simply be covered with a band-aid. It takes about an hour to recover from the procedure in our outpatient surgical facility and then you can go home. After that, you’ll need to see how your body responds to the surgery. Most patients feel better right away and can return to work in a couple of days. It’s important to listen to your body and discuss your symptoms with your doctor to ensure you are ready to resume normal activities. Avoid heavy lifting until your doctor gives you the okay, even if you feel fine.
