Minimally invasive stabilization surgery — an alternative to open back fusion

Learn about minimally invasive stabilization surgery at USA Spine Care.

Minimally invasive procedures

Some people who suffer from chronic neck and back pain may experience difficulty walking or standing for long periods of time. Often, back pain that is caused by a degenerative spine condition can prevent you from doing the activities that you enjoy because the instability of your spine makes it difficult to move and twist without pain. If you are experiencing this pain and have talked to your doctor, it is highly likely that you have been advised to have open back surgery to fuse your spine together.

At USA Spine Care, we understand that the prospect of having open back surgery is scary and confusing. Traditional open back fusions require a lengthy stay in the hospital and the surgery itself is very invasive, which means that your recovery time may be as long as six months to a year. For those reasons, we offer an alternative to traditional open back fusion. Our minimally invasive stabilization surgery provides more precise treatment for your spine condition. During the surgery, your surrounding muscles will not be disrupted, which means that you will have a shorter recovery time^{^} than traditional open back surgery. We perform surgery as an outpatient procedure, so there is no need for an overnight hospital stay.

As you continue to research our minimally invasive stabilization surgery, we invite you to contact us with any questions that you have. Our Care Team is ready to help you find the best treatment option for your specific needs.

What is our minimally invasive stabilization surgery?

Our minimally invasive stabilization surgery provides a less invasive, more precise alternative to traditional open back fusions. The procedure is performed through a small incision in the back or side. Through this incision, the surgeon is able to move the surrounding muscles to the side to avoid any cutting or tearing of muscle tissue. Once the muscles are moved aside, the surgeon will remove the diseased disc or vertebra and insert an implant and bone to provide immediate stability and relief from pain.

The type of minimally invasive stabilization procedure we perform is dependent on your spine condition. Before your surgery, you will meet with a consultant and medical professional to review your MRI and medical history and determine your candidacy for one of our procedures. Please review the minimally invasive stabilization surgeries we offer:

Decompression with Interlaminar Stabilization® device

The Decompression with Interlaminar Stabilization® device helps relieve pain associated with spinal stenosis. Through a small incision, the surgeon first decompresses the affected nerves in the spine, thus eliminating the source of pain. Once the nerve has been decompressed, the surgeon will insert the coflex® device, which will help to stabilize the spine and maintain the decompression without limiting range of motion.

Anterior cervical discectomy fusion

Like the other types of minimally invasive surgeries at USA Spine Care, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is performed through a small incision in the front of the neck. The surgeon will make a tunnel to the spine by moving aside muscles so that the bony vertebrae and discs can be seen. With the aid of a fluoroscope (a special X-ray), the surgeon will remove the disc. Once the disc is removed, the surgeon will insert an implant to help stabilize the spine.

Cervical disc replacement

A cervical disc replacement is a minimally invasive procedure in which an unhealthy vertebral disc is substituted with a new, artificial disc.

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion

A TLIF procedure is a less invasive alternative to traditional open back fusion. During this surgery, the damaged disc is removed and implants are inserted to help stabilize the spine. Spine conditions such as spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease or herniated disc are treated with the TLIF procedure.

Lateral lumbar interbody fusion

An LLIF is a minimally invasive spine surgery that accesses the spine from incisions on the side of the body to avoid separating the low back muscles, cutting bone or moving aside blood vessels. Lateral access spine surgery can treat a variety of conditions including herniations, degenerative scoliosis, nerve impingement, certain tumors and instability and pain resulting from disc degeneration. When treating this source of back and leg pain, most of the disc is removed, a spacer is used to restore proper disc height and bone grafts are added to fuse the adjacent vertebrae, restoring stability.

SI joint fusion

An SI joint fusion is a minimally invasive procedure, performed where the sacrum joins with the pelvis. Through the guidance of a fluoroscope (special X-ray), the surgeon will perform the procedure through a small incision. The surgeon will fuse together the sacrum and the pelvis to increase the stability of the spine.

Posterior cervical fusion

During this procedure, the surgeon will access the spine from the back of the neck. To provide more stability to the cervical (neck) spine, the surgeon will fuse together two or more vertebrae. This surgery is used to treat symptoms associated with compressed nerves, spinal instability and deformity and severe herniated discs.