Endoscopic spine Surgery

Endoscopic spine surgery is a minimally-invasive way to treat a number of spine conditions – without the pain, recovery period, and lengthy incision associated with traditional open back surgery.

THE BENEFITS OF AN ENDOSCOPIC APPROACH

Rapid recovery + no hospital stay
Less pain than traditional spine surgery
Minimally-invasive, one-hour procedure
Reduced pain and blood loss
Small incisions
Less trauma to the surrounding tissue

WHAT IS ENDOSCOPIC SPINE SURGERY?

With traditional spine surgery, the back muscles must be cut and moved aside before your condition can be treated. The technique involves a lengthy incision and can potentially injure the soft tissues surrounding the spine.

Endoscopic spine surgery involves one very small incision in the skin. Through that opening, our surgeons will insert an endoscope attached to a camera that allows us to visualize the surgical site without completely opening up the back. The procedure is then completed inside a tube using tiny surgical tools. Without the lengthy incision and trauma to the back muscles, the patient enjoys less pain, minimal blood loss, and a much quicker recovery period.

WHAT SPINE CONDITIONS CAN BE TREATED WITH AN ENDOSCOPIC APPROACH?

Bone spurs
Bulging and herniated discs
Facet joint disease
Spondylolisthesis
Spinal stenosis
Scoliosis

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THE PROCEDURES

At Long Island Spine Specialists, there are two endoscopic procedures that we perform quite often for our Long Island patients: posterolateral endoscopic discectomy and endoscopic laminotomy.

Here’s an overview of these surgeries:

Posterolateral endoscopic discectomy

This is a very common endoscopic spinal surgery that is done to remove herniated disc material that is causing back and neck pain. The entire procedure takes about 30 minutes and you will be free to return home the same day to begin your recovery period.

To begin this procedure, we will insert a small tube through a tiny incision in the back until it reaches the spine for direct visualization. We will then insert surgical tools through the tube and extract the herniated disc material. In some cases, we may also use a laser to deaden the nerves inside the disc, ensuring lasting pain relief.

Endoscopic laminotomy

This procedure is a minimally-invasive alternative to the traditional laminotomy. It’s a decompressive surgical solution that is done to treat spinal stenosis.

To begin, we will insert a fine needle under X-ray guidance until it reaches the spine. We will then make a small, 1-inch incision around the needle and pass tubes and an endoscope into the back so that we can remove anything that’s compressing the nerve roots – including bone, bone spurs, ligaments, and disc material. This relieves spinal stenosis by creating more space within the spinal column.