Traditional vs. Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

If you ever need to undergo a spine surgery procedure, you may not realize how lucky you are that you live in the year 2016. Not long ago, spinal surgeries were much more invasive, painful, and dangerous than the minimally invasive keyhole procedures we have today. In this article we will talk about the differences between traditional spine surgery procedures and the minimally invasive keyhole spine surgeries pioneered by Inspired Spine.

Traditional Spine Surgery

Traditional (or open) spine surgical procedures required large incisions, which equated to long recovery times and a lot of pain for the patient. These procedures were known as “open” surgeries because the surgeon had to open up the patient to access the spinal anatomy. When a surgeon makes an incision, muscles, tendons, and ligaments are damaged. The larger the incision required, the more damage done. It takes time for the body to repair these damaged tissues.

Thankfully, with advancements in technology these procedures have been vastly improved and can now be performed in a minimally invasive keyhole manner.

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Compared to the traditional open forms of spine surgery, minimally invasive keyhole procedures allow the surgeon to make a much smaller incision (of up to only a few inches). This results in less damage to the surrounding muscles and nerves, and makes for an overall safer patient experience. Most common spine procedures can now be performed in a minimally invasive keyhole fashion including spine disc replacements, spinal fusions, spinal decompression surgery, and more.

Here are some of the benefits of minimally invasive keyhole spine surgery compared to traditional spinal procedures:

• Less damage to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons
• Less pain
• Quicker recovery
• Shorter operating times
• Shorter hospital stays

If you have any questions about minimally invasive keyhole spine surgery, or the specific Inspired Spine procedures, do not hesitate to contact us through the form on this site.