You never want to hear that you need to have spinal surgery. However, those words will be a lot easier for you to digest when you also hear that there is a minimally invasive surgical option available to you. If you have learned that you are going to need to have a minimally invasive spine surgery, then you are going to want to read more about it, and the information here is a good place for you to begin.
Understanding the basics of minimally invasive spinal surgery
When someone has spinal surgery, they are commonly looking at having a surgery done in which a long incision is made into the skin and where muscles and tissue will be moved out of the way, pulled off the bone, and manipulated all around to give the surgeon access to the areas they need to access. This is partly why recovery can be so long and painful. However, with a minimally invasive surgery, there will be one or more very small incisions made and a camera and light on the end of a tube, called an endoscope, will be put into the incision so the surgeon can perform the surgery without the body enduring nearly as much trauma.
Minimally invasive means less risk
One huge benefit of minimally invasive spinal surgery is that it comes with less risk than a more invasive surgery comes with. The smaller incisions mean less chances of infection. The fact that there is less trauma caused to the muscles and tissue also means less chances of post-surgical complications. There will be less blood loss during the surgery as well. Also, the fact that less anesthetic is typically needed means less chances of complications caused by the anesthesia during the surgery and immediate recovery period.
Minimally invasive means a much easier recovery
A major spinal surgery can be a very painful thing to recover from. In many cases, a patient can take months before they have totally recovered from the surgery. With minimally invasive spinal surgery, the healing time is significantly reduced. In fact, in many cases, the patient can get back to their normal routine fairly quickly. Also, the pain the patient feels in those first couple weeks after surgery won't be nearly as intense.
Minimally invasive means less scarring
A major back surgery can leave someone with very large and obvious scars. However, a minimally invasive surgery means very small scars that can even heal to the point where they are hardly noticeable at all. In many cases, the scars from a minimally invasive spinal surgery can lighten up so much and will be so small that they can look as if they were more caused from small cuts instead of from an actual surgery.
