Minimally Invasive Surgery

What is Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS)?
Minimally invasive spine surgery has developed out of the desire to effectively treat disorders of the spinal with minimal muscle related injury, and with rapid recovery.

Traditionally, surgical approaches to the spine have necessitated prolonged recovery time, large incisions, and a great deal of muscle dissection. It is the manipulation and retraction of the back muscles that causes most of the pain after surgery. If we can get the job done with minimal trauma to the muscles, the outcome is better for the patient. MIS refers to a growing number of surgical procedures that achieve the same surgical results as traditional operations, but are performed with much smaller incisions and little or no cutting of muscle. This is done with the help of specially designed instruments called tubular retractors, which are inserted through small surgical incisions, and allow the surgeon to see deep inside the spine, with the operating microscope.

In the spine, I apply MIS procedures for disc herniations, lumbar fusions, and bone spurs. In cranial surgery, the stereotactic image guided system provides accurate localization with less trauma to surrounding tissues.

Advantages of minimally invasive techniques
Minimally invasive spine surgery generally results in the same surgical outcome as with more traditional techniques. However, there are a number of advantages to minimally invasive techniques, including:

• Less soft tissue damage, due to reduced muscle retraction.
• Reduced blood loss.
• Recovery is faster with less post-operative pain.
• The hospital stay is shortened. Since incisions are much smaller, scaring is less noticeable and cosmetically more pleasing.
• Since exposure is limited, minimally invasive techniques are not for every patient. I many situations a standard operative exposure is necessary to accomplish the goals of surgery. Whether a MIS technique can be applied to your problem will be determined at the time surgery is discussed.

MIS, used in other neurosurgical procedures:

Vertebral Compression Fractures

Cranial Minimally Invasive Technique
In cranial surgery, the stereotactic image guided system provides accurate localization with less trauma to surrounding tissues. In many situations the precision far exceeds conventional surgery for problems such as brain tumors.

Minimally Invasive Carpal Tunnel Surgery