Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS)
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery is truly a revolutionary technique in spine surgery where in routine surgeries are performed using ‘key hole’. Over the last decade, with the advent of high magnification and illumination provided by microscopes and endoscopes, advances in spine instruments and developments in implant technology, surgeons realized that they can achieve the same goals of conventional techniques- decompression and stabilization efficiently without inflicting much damage and with extreme precision and safety.
It has been known that we have to dissect the muscles from their origins and remove the stabilizing ligaments in open techniques. This increases morbidity of surgery, causing muscle weakness and post operative pain. Any procedure that reduces this damage is a Minimally Invasive Technique. The principle of this ‘Micro-Endoscopic’ technique is to use muscle splitting approach using series of tubes through the key holes.
Some of the proven benefits are as follows:
-Better cosmetic results from ‘key hole’incisions
-Less blood loss from surgery
-Reduced risk of muscle damage since muscle sparing techniques
-Less postoperative pain
-Faster recovery from surgery and less rehabilitation required
-Reduced dependence on pain medications after surgery
-Decreased infection rates
The most routinely performed surgeries through this Tubular Endoscopic approach are:
- Micro- Endoscopic Discectomy
- Micro-Endoscopic Decompression
- MIS- TLIF
The spectrum of MISS is gradually increasing and is now being used in selected cases for the treatment of Fractures, Tumours, Infections and Deformity Correction Surgeries also.
Disclaimer: The description of procedure is how usually a surgery is done. During the procedure, based on intra operative encounters which varies from patient to patient different steps may be performed.