Bridgeport
Almost 65 million individuals in the U.S. report they’ve experienced a recent back pain episode, and 8% of all adults experience chronic or persistent back pain, which limits certain daily tasks and activities.
While severe injuries from car accidents or sports can be a leading cause of back pain, even the slightest movements, like bending over to pick something up, can lead to serious pain in your back. The best way to learn what’s causing your back pain and receive the treatment you need to get back to normal life is to speak with a spine surgeon. Our minimally-invasive spine surgeons here at CT Spine & Orthopedic in Bridgeport, CT are committed to helping our patients experience back pain relief through minimally-invasive techniques.
When it comes to the traditional method of open surgery, the surgeon needs to make a single long incision through the skin. They then need to pull or spread a fairly large amount of soft tissue and muscle out of their way or from a bone in order to see the surgical site clearly. This can lead to even more pain and muscle damage after surgery.
However, in a minimally-invasive procedure, the surgeon only has to make one or more small incisions through the skin. They then place an endoscope or small metal tube through the incision to allow them to work through a much smaller surgical field. When they’re able to work through smaller incisions, it leads to less damage to soft tissues and muscles than with a single long incision.
The goal of this type of surgery is to stabilize the spinal joints or relieve the pressure that’s being applied to your spinal nerves, frequently due to conditions like herniated discs, bone spurs, spinal instability, spinal tumors, or scoliosis.
Minimally-invasive spine surgery in Bridgeport, CT, as opposed to open spine surgery, can be safer, faster, and requires less recovery time. Since there’s decreased trauma to the soft tissues and muscles as compared to open surgeries, the potential benefits include:
Additionally, certain minimally-invasive procedures are performed in an outpatient setting and only require local anesthesia. This makes it less risky for patients to experience adverse reactions to general anesthesia.
Various specific techniques have been employed for minimally-invasive surgery. A few common treatment options include:
Spinal discs are basically elastic rings that have a soft material inside them that work like cushions between your vertebral bones. When an elastic ring is weakened, it can lead to the soft tissue inside extruding or herniating outside of the ring.
Then, the herniated disc material can lead to the compression of the nerves passing by, resulting in pain. If the surgeon recommends surgery to trim the herniated disc or remove it, it might be possible for them to use minimally-invasive surgery to perform this procedure.
This is a minimally-invasive procedure that spine surgeons perform for patients with radicular pain linked with degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, and recurrent disc herniation.
Compression of the nerves can result from a condition known as spinal stenosis. This can lead to a number of symptoms, which includes muscle weakness, numbness, and pain. If your spine surgeon recommends surgery, they may be able to use a minimally-invasive approach to remove the soft tissues and bone that’s causing this nerve compression through the use of an endoscope or microscope and tubular dilators. More common types of decompressive approaches are foraminotomy and laminectomy.
Most individuals with back pain won’t require surgery. However, your doctor may recommend minimally-invasive spinal surgery if you have back pain that isn’t getting any better with another treatment like physical therapy or medication. Some conditions that may require minimally-invasive spine surgery include:
If you’re thinking about spinal surgery, speak with our minimally-invasive spine surgeons in Bridgeport, CT to see if it is an option for you.
Our highly-skilled team of minimally-invasive spine surgeons here at CT Spine & Orthopedic offers our patients the latest technology, research, and treatment options to help manage their pain. We offer a whole range of back pain treatment options that range from non-surgical, conservative approaches to minimally invasive procedures.
Our experienced spine surgeons in Bridgeport are dedicated to helping eliminate your pain so you can experience an improved quality of life. Call us at (866) 553-0612 or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment with our Bridgeport, CT spine surgeons.
