Endoscopic spine surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery and comes in two primary types: fusion, which replaces the diseased spine disc with an implant and a bone graft to stabilize the spine, or decompression, which removes bone or disc material to create more space for spinal nerves that are being compressed. Both types of surgery are done by placing a camera and the surgical instruments through a small incision, avoiding the need to open your back surgically and disrupt the muscles around your spine. The benefits include the need for less pain medication, fewer side effects from anesthesia, reduced blood loss, lower chance of infection, minimal scarring, and a faster recovery. In fact, patients are discharged within a few hours to a day post-operation and can walk upon discharge.
Recovery from ACDF, XLIF, discectomy, and other forms of endoscopic surgery occurs much faster than from traditional spine surgery. Majority of patients are able to go back to work within two weeks, especially those with desk jobs, and all patients should be back to work six weeks after surgery. High-impact activities such as heavy lifting, snowboarding, or bungee jumping are still discouraged at this time. Physical therapy can speed up your recovery and make it easier to get back to full function. There will be some pain after the surgery and your doctor will prescribe you pain medication, but you will be able to switch to over the counter pain medication as you recover.
Minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery can be used in most cases that traditional spine surgery would be used and is recommended when conservative treatment such as physical therapy or pain injections do not produce an improvement over several months. Conditions treated include pinched nerve, facet joint disease, herniated discs and other causes of back and neck pain.
Our center in Orland Park, IL serves the Chicago South Suburbs and ensures a high surgery success rate by partnering with leading spine doctors and by using the latest surgical equipment. If you would like to know whether you are a candidate for minimally invasive spine surgery, request a FREE MRI Review or request a consultation with one of our expert physicians.
To learn more, visit our Spine Diseases or Spine Treatment pages.
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