Traditional, open-back surgery typically involves long recovery periods and comes with the risk of dangerous complications. At the Spine Institute Northwest, we want you to return home to Canada and be back at work as quickly as possible following a surgical procedure, with little or no pain interfering with your everyday life. Minimally invasive spinal surgery is now a modern, welcome alternative to more invasive open-back surgery. The procedure is ideal for many patients who no longer want to suffer from herniated discs or bone spurs that are pressing on a nerve.
Minimally invasive decompression surgery can be used to treat spine and leg pain, in addition to relieving other symptoms caused by a compressed nerve along the spinal cord. Some common types of these surgical procedures include those performed on the lumbar spine and the cervical spine.
Solomon Kamson, MD, PhD, performs an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) procedure that is minimally invasive. It generally relieves patients’ back pain that is caused by a nerve root or spinal cord that is being compressed in the cervical spine. Dr. Kamson completes these procedures at the Spine Institute Northwest. This type of surgery requires only a tiny incision, resulting in quicker recovery times for patients. ACDF involves performing a decompression procedure followed by fusion. Dr. Kamson is able to create a tiny cut in the neck area, which lets him remove the bulging disc that is causing nerve compression and pain. Any other extraneous tissue that is pressing on the nerve is also excised to lessen pressure and make space for the following step: fusion. The fusion procedure ensures that the neck and vertebrae remain stable. Dr. Kamson fuses the disc in the space that remains following the disc removal and uses a bone graft and cage implant to accomplish a vertebrae fusion. An added plate and screws enable the cervical spine to safely and securely support itself. The ACDF surgery allows patients to return home within just a day after the surgery in most cases. Post-surgery, you will need to wear a neck brace that is either soft or rigid for a short period of time, in order to ensure a permanent fusion. Dr. Kamson will prescribe pain medications upon your discharge to help with immediate post-surgical relief, and the surgical team will follow up with you during your recovery.
Here at the Spine Institute Northwest, our infection rate from minimally invasive decompression surgeries is presently at zero. The unlikely yet possible risks and complications of these types of procedures, however, can include infection, nerve impairment, unsuccessful graft, or continued pain.
Find out more about minimally invasive decompression procedures by calling our offices at the Spine Institute Northwest for a free MRI review and consultation. Call us today at (888) 712-0318.