Spinal Nerve Decompression

Spinal decompression is a surgical procedure intended to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or on one or more compressed nerve roots passing through or exiting the spinal column. Decompression of the spinal neural elements is a key component in treating spinal radiculopathy (nerve pain), myelopathy (spinal cord compression) and claudication (inability to stand/walk distances).

 

Spinal Fusion -Cervical\Thoracic\Lumbar 

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure used to correct problems with the bones in the spine (vertebrae). The basic idea is to fuse together two or more vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone. This is done to eliminate painful motion or to restore stability to the spine. This is also often done at the same time as nerve decompression.

 

Cervical Fusion

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a type of neck surgery that involves removing a damaged disc to relieve spinal cord or nerve root pressure and alleviate corresponding pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling, often neck pain and headaches too.

 

Lumbar Fusion

A spinal fusion surgery is designed to stop the motion at a painful vertebral segment, which in turn should decrease pain generated from the joint. There are many approaches to lumbar spinal fusion surgery, and all involve the following process:

• Removing disc material

• Placing instrumentation (screws/rods/plate & screws)

• Adding bone graft to a segment of the spine

• Set up a biological response that causes the bone graft to grow between the two vertebral elements to create a bone fusion

• The boney fusion - which results in one fixed bone replacing a mobile joint - stops the motion at that joint segment

 

Discectomy /Microdiscectomy 

Lumbar discectomy is a surgery to remove a herniated (ruptured or bulging) or degenerative disc in the lower spine. The small incision is made posterior, next to the back muscles, to remove the disc pressing on the nerve. Discectomy may be recommended if physical therapy, injections or medication fail to relieve leg or back pain or if you have signs of nerve damage, such as weakness or loss of feeling in your legs. The surgery can be performed in an open or minimally invasive technique. Depending on severity of pain and nerve dysfunction, this procedure may be primarily recommended over nonsurgical treatments.

 

Cervical/Lumbar Artificial Disc placement

ADR was developed as a technique to preserve motion following a decompression procedure while minimizing several of the complications associated with fusion and posterior spine fusion procedures. Though success with spinal fusion has been well documented in the literature, high rates of midand long-term complications have been clearly established. ADR has also been associated with several complications and challenges with regard to surgical technique, though improvements in implant design have led to an increase in utilization. This procedure is recommended only in highly selected patients.

 

Revision Spinal Surgery

Surgery performed in certain patients to correct the problems of earlier spine surgery. Revision surgery is indicated in patients with chronic pain even after surgery. Other factors indicated for revision spine surgery include: Scar tissue formation around the incision, painful hardware, inadequate nerve decompression, nonunion (failure of fusion).

 

Laminectomy\Spinal Nerve Decompression

Opening or removal of bone to relieve pressure and pinching of the spinal nerves. discectomy: a type of surgery in which herniated disc material is removed so that it no longer irritates and compresses the nerve root.

 

Spinal Deformity Correction

Spinal deformity is an abnormal alignment or curve of the bony vertebral column. A system for treating spinal deformities. This procedure is done to correct scoliosis (curving of spine) or spondylolisthesis (slippage of bones in the spine). This is often a large reconstructive operation where screws, rods and bone grafts are placed on multiple areas of the spinal column.

 

Herniated Disc Surgery

Lumbar laminotomy is a procedure often utilized to relieve leg pain and sciatica caused by a herniated disc. It is performed through an incision down the center of the back over the area of the herniated disc. Herniated disc surgery carries nearly a 90% success rate in alleviating leg pain. Rarely does a fusion need to be performed in these cases but is sometimes needed for repeat disc ruptures or severe degeneration of disc.

 

Interventional Pain Management\Spinal Injections 

Interventional pain management or interventional pain medicine is a medical subspecialty which treats pain with invasive interventions such as facet joint injections, nerve blocks, (interrupting the flow of pain signals along specific nervous system pathways), neuroaugmentation (including spinal cord, stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, spinal injections can often be a temporary, effective way of managing spine disease.

 

Spinal Cord Stimulation

This procedure is not generally recommended for patents who are candidates for traditional spinal surgery and is often used in very elderly patients or in patients who have undergone multiple previous (failed) surgeries. A spinal cord stimulator is a device implanted in your back. It sends low-level electrical signals to the spinal cord, which interferes with pain signals’ reaching the brain. Spinal cord stimulation is recommended for patients who have tried other treatments without success. Using fluoroscopy (a type of x-ray) to guide them, the medical team will insert small wire leads along the epidural space in your spine. The leads will be attached to an extension wire that is connected to a generator that controls the electrical stimulation. The generator will be surgically implanted in your buttocks. A spinal cord stimulator can be a good option for chronic pain sufferers because it can help you eliminate or reduce the need for pain medication and let you adjust the “dosage” as you need to. One other advantage is that if the treatment doesn’t seem to be working or is uncomfortable, it’s reversible. You can have the device removed.