Endoscopic Spine Surgery is a minimally invasive variation of back surgery that avoids the large incisions and other perils of traditional open back surgery.
Open back surgery traditionally requires the surgeon to make a large incision and cut or tear muscles and tissues to gain access to the damaged portion of your back. In some cases open back surgery may be the only option, but is usually not the case.
Endoscopic spine surgery requires only a small incision to insert a working tube that houses both the endoscope and other surgical instruments the surgeon will need to perform the operation. With the use of an endoscope the surgeon can monitor and perform the surgery on a display similar to a T.V. monitor.
Whether your surgery is minimally invasive or not, it will take time for your body to heal. The differences are quite dramatic though. Open back surgery will often require at least a three day stay in the hospital, months of physical therapy, and in the case of spinal fusion surgery it may take up to a year for the fusion to complete.
Endoscopic Spine Surgery is usually performed in an outpatient setting, with no hospital stay. After the surgery is completed, the patient is monitored for two hours and released into the care of a friend or family member. With an incision about the size of a postage stamp, only a stitch or two are needed to close the wound; sometimes a stitch is not even required.
Although not all conditions that require surgery can treated with endoscopic spine surgery, when you qualify for the surgery, it is plain to see what the advantages are over open back surgery.
