Spinal stenosis occurs when the spaces within your vertebrae start to narrow, causing your spine to put pressure on your nerves. The pain and discomfort this causes can be profound. While some patients are able to cope with steroid injections and physical therapy, others require surgery to correct the problem. Usually, when surgery is performed for spinal stenosis, it is performed in a minimally invasive way. Here are some questions you may have prior to minimally invasive surgery (MISS) for spinal stenosis.
How is this procedure less invasive?
MISS is called "minimally invasive" because it is less destructive to and exposes less body tissue than a typical open surgery. The key difference is the incisions. With MISS, they are much smaller. MISS involves making two or sometimes three small incisions along the spine in your back. If you were to instead have open surgery, you would have one long incision. Shorter incisions mean the muscle and skin take less time to heal after surgery.
How will your spine be repaired?
To repair your spine, your doctor will insert small surgical tools through the incisions. One of these tools will be an ultrasound camera, which enables them to see what they are doing with the tools inside your back. These tools will be used to widen the space in your vertebrae. Some of the bone may be ground down, and some extra calcified tissue will be removed. If the tissues around the spine are scarred and inflamed, some of this tissue may be removed, too. Then, the tools will be removed and the incisions will be sutured closed.
What is it like to heal from MISS?
MISS does still come with a significant healing period when used to treat spinal stenosis. The doctors have still operated on your spine, which is a major procedure. However, you should have less superficial pain and have to rely less on pain relievers thanks to the smaller incisions.
Typically, you'll be observed in the hospital for a day or two before going home. Then, you'll be on bed rest for a few days before slowly starting to resume activities. Most people are back to work within a couple of weeks. You'll likely need physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in the area as you heal.
Hopefully these answers have left you more informed about MISS and its use for spinal stenosis treatment. If you have additional concerns, ask your doctor about minimally invasive spine surgery.
Share
