Back pain can be debilitating even if it’s a short-lived episode from a pulled muscle. But pain from an issue anywhere in the spine can be more intense and sometimes extends into the arms and legs.
“Motor vehicle accidents or falls can lead to fractures that may require surgery to stabilize the spine,” said SSM Health neurosurgeon Dr. Dan Burkett. “Many of my patients have had work-related accidents causing fractures or disc herniations that happen with heavy lifting. I also see people who have stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal and causes nerve compression on the spinal cord.”
What are common types of spine surgeries?
- Decompression: This helps ease pain caused by pinched spinal nerves
- Microdiscectomy: This surgery involves removing a herniated or bulged portion of a disc in the lower back that pinches or compresses a nearby nerve
- Laminectomy: Also called open decompression, this surgery helps create more spaces for the spinal cord and/or nerve roots when there is a narrowing of the spinal canal
- Spinal fusion: Fusion surgery creates a bony bridge between two vertebrae to stabilize the low back
What is endoscopic spine surgery?
In many cases, minimally-invasive spine surgery - or endoscopic spine surgery – can replace open surgery. In open surgery, one large incision is made through your skin. During endoscopic surgery, one or more tiny incisions are made. Working through smaller incisions causes significantly less damage to muscle and tissue.
How is endoscopic spine surgery performed?
- A small incision is made
- A flexible tube with a camera and light, called an endoscope, is inserted through the incision
- The endoscope provides a magnified view of the diseased or damaged vertebrae
- Surgical tools are used to repair the damage
What are the benefits of getting endoscopic surgery?
“There are so many positives to this type of procedure. With the smaller incision, there is less chance of wound healing issues, less postoperative pain, and minimal postoperative narcotic use,” noted Dr. Burkett. “It’s also a much faster recovery.” Patients can usually get back to full activity around six weeks after surgery. During that time, they need to get plenty of rest and avoid twisting or bending. Often, they share their excitement with Burkett.
“It feels great to hear patients say they’re able to enjoy life pain-free and to hear about their successes,” Burkett said. “They say things like, ‘I’m able to play with my grandkids again without pain,’ or ‘My wrist surgery was more painful than my neck surgery’ and ‘I'm able to walk again without pain or numbness.’ ”
If you are having back pain, learn more about treatment options. Get to know more about Dr. Daniel Burkett in this video interview.
