Different Types of Spine Surgery

Often orthopedic surgeons recommend to patients after non-surgical or less-invasive treatment fails. They perform different types of spine surgery to make a patient physically fit and move around seamlessly. The spine surgeries further help a patient to perform normal tasks and remain productive without consuming pain medicine on a regular basis.

The skilled orthopedic surgeons always determine the appropriate spine surgery by assessing the symptoms and keeping in mind the degree of risk. Many surgeons these days prefer minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) to conventional spine surgery to treat the spine problem without causing much damage to the muscles and structures in the spine.

A Brief Overview of Various Types of Spine Surgery

Spinal Fusion

The orthopedic surgeons perform spinal fusion to treat chronic nonspecific back pain which is caused due to degenerative changes. The most common form of spinal surgery helps surgeons to join a patient’s vertebrae or spinal bones surgically. The surgery restricts the motion between the spinal bones and stretching of nerves.

Laminectomy

The orthopedic surgeons perform laminectomy to treat lumbar spinal stenosis surgically. While performing the spine surgery, the relieve pain on spinal nerves by removing parts on bone, ligaments or bone spurs in the patient’s back. The surgery helps the patient’s spinal nerves stronger. But the spine surgery often impacts stability of the patient’s spine adversely.

Foraminotomy   

The doctors perform foraminotomy to relieve the pain caused due to compression on nerves in the patient’s spine. They relieve pressure on the spinal nerves by widening the space where the patient’s nerves exit the spine. While performing the spine surgery, they remove bones from sides of the vertebrae surgically. The spinal surgery, like laminectomy, impacts the stability of spine. Sometimes the orthopedic surgeons perform both spinal fusion and foraminotomy concurrently.

Diskectomy

The orthopedic surgeons perform diskectomy to remove all or specific parts of the disk that put excess pressure on the patient’s spinal nerve root or spinal column. The conventional spinal surgery techniques require the surgeon to create a big cut in the patient’s back while performing diskectomy. But the skilled orthopedic surgeons these days perform the spine surgery by opening the diskectomy using a microscope and a smaller incision.

Disk Replacement

Sometimes the orthopedic surgeons replace the patient’s damaged spinal disk with an artificial spinal disk. They insert the artificial disk surgically between the patient’s spinal bones or vertebrae. The spinal surgery helps the patients to move his spine smoothly. Also, disk replacement has a much shorter recovery time than spinal fusion. Hence, many surgeons recommend disk replacement as a faster alternative to spinal fusion.

Vertebroplasty/ Kyphoplasty

The orthopedic surgeons perform vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty to treat a patient’s compressed or fractured vertebrae or spinal bones. While performing the surgery, the doctors insert bone cement into the fractured spinal bone using a long and hollow needle. The bone cement strengthens the patient’s vertebrae along with reliving excruciating pain.

However, the patients must remember that each type of spine surgery has its own pros and cons. They must consult with an experienced orthopedic surgeon to understand the degree of risk associated with the specific type of spine surgery. It is also important for the patients to opt for an orthopedic surgeon with adequate experience and expertise in performing minimally invasive spine surgery.