Laser Spine Surgery

Minimally invasive Laser Spine Surgery is a great alternative to Open Back surgery for many individuals. Diagnoses such as Spinal Stenosis, Herniated or Bulging discs, Sciatica and others may be treated with laser surgery in certain candidates. Although Endoscopic laser surgery of the spine has been around for some time and has grown in popularity since the 1990s- it is not performed by many surgeons and it is also not an alternative for all back surgery candidates. Finding a qualified Neurosurgeon or Orthopedic Spine Surgeon to first diagnose and determine if Laser Spine Surgery is an option for you is one's first step.

Laser Spine Surgery as an Option

If it is determined that Laser Spine Surgery is an option for you the next step is comparing your options of Open back versus Endoscopic laser surgery. In Open Back spinal surgery a 6 inch incision is made through the back and muscle. The surgeon is able to directly view and manipulate the spine. Open Back surgery is a lengthy procedure which requires sedation under general anesthesia. Once the surgeon corrects the patient's spine, they must then repair the cut muscle and tissue as well as stitch the 6 inch incision closed. The patient must then undergo a lengthy hospital stay and take up to a year to fully recover. None of this is true for Laser Spine Surgery.

Laser Spine Surgery and Anesthesia

Laser Spine Surgery is performed using local anesthesia in conjunction with a “twilight”, I.V. sedation which allows for the patient to be responsive during the procedure. It also carries far less risk than general anesthesia. Endoscopic surgery is a much less invasive procedure in which a few small incisions are made as opposed to the single 6 inch incision that Open Back requires. A thin, flexible tube called an Endoscope is inserted through these small incisions and the surgeon is guided by utilizing its attached camera. Instead of cutting through muscle it is pushed aside with the use of a portal tube which the surgeon uses to pass surgical instruments through and perform Laser Spine Surgery.

Endoscopic Laser Spine Surgery

Once the Laser Spine Surgery is completed the surgeon retracts the surgical instruments through the portal, allowing the muscle to fall back into place and stitches the tiny incisions closed. Endoscopic surgery causes far less scarring and requires much less recovery time. So, if your doctor has determined that Laser Spine Surgery is a viable option, you can see that it has many advantages over Open Back laser spine surgery.