Frequently Asked Questions

Minimally invasive spine surgery offers several advantages over open surgery, including:

• Less anesthesia.
• Less blood loss during surgery.
• Less muscle and soft tissue damage.
• Reduced risk of infection.
• Less pain after surgery.
• Less pain medication use.
• Better cosmetic result (a few tiny scars vs one large scar).
• Shorter hospital stay (a few days vs about a week).
• Shorter recovery time (a few months vs up to a year).
• Quicker return to daily activities, including work.

Not every patient is a candidate for a minimally invasive approach. There are specific indications for minimally invasive surgery – when it works well and when it shouldn’t be done from a safety stand point. Each surgery must be customized for the patient and the technique. However, before surgery is even considered, your spine care team may decide, during your evaluation, that there are other treatment options that should be tried first before surgery is considered.

Many types of spine surgeries can be performed using a minimally invasive approach. These include:

• Spinal fusion, which is often performed on degenerative or “slipped” disks.
• Deformity corrections, such as for scoliosis and kyphosis.
• Decompression of spinal tumors.
• Repair and stabilization of vertebral compression fractures.
• Lumbar spinal stenosis.
• Infection in the spine.

Spine surgery is usually recommended only when a period of nonsurgical treatment — such as medications and physical therapy — has not relieved the painful symptoms caused by your back problem. In addition, surgery is only considered if your doctor can pinpoint the exact source of your pain, such as a herniated disk or spinal stenosis.

Minimally invasive spine results in less pain after surgery and has a faster recovery.

AS minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS), does not involve a long incision, it avoids significant damage to the muscles surrounding the spine. Typically, this results in less pain after surgery and a faster recovery.