Health

Revolutionizing Pain Management: Exploring Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS)

Minimally invasive procedures are gaining momentum since they offer a cascade of benefits. Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) helps relieve back and neck pain to improve your quality of life. 

Minimally invasive spine surgery Glendale is provided by expert medical professionals to relieve painful symptoms. 

An insight into MISS

Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is a type of surgery that is an excellent alternative to traditional open surgery. The procedure involves smaller incisions to access your spine and perform corrective or reparative treatments. 

MISS is performed under general anesthesia. During MISS, your healthcare professionals make keyhole-sized incisions in the side, front, or back. This helps the surgeon insert a medical device called a tubular retractor. It is a thin, tube-shaped tool that creates a tunnel to the area of concern to access the site easily. 

A surgical endoscope (an instrument with a tiny camera) is inserted to view the spine in detail. This guides the surgeon to perform the surgery accurately. The surgeon can insert surgical instruments easily through the tunnel created to work on the spine.  

Indications of MISS

Your healthcare professional may recommend MISS to treat spine conditions when other non-surgical methods fail. These treatment options include medications, physical therapy, and steroid injections. 

Common conditions treated by MISS include:

  • Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
  • Cervical radiculopathy (impinged neck nerve)
  • Herniated disc
  • Myelopathy (spinal cord compression)
  • Lumbar radiculopathy (compressed lower back nerve)
  • Spondylolisthesis (slipping vertebrae)
  • Spondylosis (degenerative spinal arthritis)
  • Removal of a tumor in the spine
  • Infection in the spine
  • Spinal instability 

Types of MISS surgeries

Currently, healthcare professionals are utilizing MISS techniques for a number of surgeries, including:

  • Discectomy: Removal of the entire damaged spinal disc
  • Microdiscectomy: Removal of just get damaged part of the disc
  • Spinal decompression: Removal of pieces of bone from selected vertebrae to widen your spinal canal
  • Spinal fusion: Permanently joins or fuses the vertebrae together to stabilize your spine

Benefits of MISS

MISS is increasingly popular among surgeons due to the following benefits:

  • Less trauma to the surrounding structures
  • Less painful 
  • Smaller incisions used
  • Minimal bleeding
  • Reduced risk of complications 
  • Minimal scarring due to smaller sutures 
  • Reduced hospital stay
  • Quicker recovery 
  • Quick return to daily activities including work

Summary 

Pain can be debilitating and can negatively impact your routine life. You do not have to live all your life with neck or back pain. Seek timely medical help to get relief from the painful symptoms. 

MISS is an advanced alternative to open surgeries of the spine that can offer excellent and long-lasting results, with minimal complications.