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Spine Surgery
Depending on patient needs and severity of the condition, our doctors may elect to move to surgical procedures to alleviate the pain and problem.
Corpectomy
A corpectomy is done to relieve pressure on the spinal cord, which can stem from spinal stenosis, a herniated disc, and other spine conditions. During the procedure, your spine surgeon will remove enough vertebral bone and/or disc material to decompress the spinal cord and nerve roots.
Discectomy
A discectomy is done for patients with back or lower extremity pain due to a herniated disc or other disc problem. Spinal discs are located between each vertebrae of the spine and act as cushions to protect it. During the procedure, a part of the damaged disc is taken out, easing pressure on the spinal cord and relieving associated symptoms like pain, weakness, or numbness.
Disc Replacement
The vertebrae in your spine are cushioned by intervertebral discs. Issues can arise with these discs that include conditions like a herniation or degenerative disc disease, which are marked by symptoms like neck or back pain, stiffness, numbness, coordination problems, and more. When you’re experiencing these symptoms and your disc can no longer function properly, you may need a disc replacement. During this procedure, the affected disc is removed by your surgeon and replaced with an artificial disc in order to restore stability in your spine.
Foraminotomy
A foraminotomy is a decompression surgery done to enlarge the passageway where a spinal nerve root exits the spinal canal. Bone or tissue that had been obstructing the passageway and compressing the spinal nerve root is removed, reducing inflammation, pain and associated symptoms like tingling or weakness in the arms or legs.
Hemilaminectomy
A hemilaminectomy is a less invasive alternative to a full laminectomy. Your surgeon may recommend this procedure if you have spinal stenosis, or tightening around the nerves in the spine, in addition to your disc condition. During the procedure, a small incision is made, and retractors are used to pull the muscle away from the bone to allow for visualization without cutting the actual muscle open. Unlike a laminectomy, most of the bone is preserved, and only a small window of bone is removed to allow access to the spinal canal. Through this window, any material that is pressing on the nerves is removed, including thickened ligaments, bone, and disc material.
Laminectomy
A laminectomy is a spinal decompression surgery done to relieve excess pressure on the spinal nerve(s). This pressure could be caused by an injury, a herniated disc among other disc problems, or spinal stenosis. During the procedure, a part of or the entire lamina is removed to eliminate the pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots. Other sources of compression, such as bone spurs or damaged disc material are removed to relieve symptoms.
Microdiscectomy
A discectomy is done to remove part of a damaged disc. A microdiscectomy is essentially a more precise version of a discectomy, done endoscopically with small incisions, small surgical tools, and microsurgical techniques that protect the nerves surrounding the damaged disc. Benefits to this minimally invasive technique include less muscle and soft tissue disruption, shorter recovery, minimal postoperative pain and discomfort, and fewer risk of complications.
Rhizotomy
A rhizotomy can help in relieving pain by “turning off” the pain signals that your spine’s facet joints send to the brain. During the procedure, an electrode is placed on the nerve in the affected area of the spine, and a mild electrical current will stimulate the nerve and confirm its exact location. Then, the electrode is heated to deaden the sensory nerves.
Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty
A fractured vertebrae can put pressure on surrounding nerves, causing pain for the patient, and these two procedures can repair the bone. During a vertebroplasty, an acrylic cement is injected into a fractured vertebrae. The cement strengthens the bone, decreasing pain associated with the fracture. A kyphoplasty is similar, however, a balloon is used to create a cavity to inject the cement into, both relieving pain and improving spinal deformities that may been a result of the fracture.