Lumbar Spine

Endoscopic Spine surgery is the spine surgery of the future

If you have a lumbar disc hernation, sciatica, pain, and numbness in your leg, the decision on how to remove the herniated disc is an important one. Studies have shown that endoscopic techniques are as effective as traditional open techniques but with smaller incisions, less blood loss, and less tissue damage. In other fields of surgery, such as sports medicine surgery, video assisted endoscopic or arthroscopic surgery is the standard of care. In our experience, endoscopic surgery of the spine, for the right indications and on the right patient, has all of the same advantages: faster return to normal activities with less tissue damage and better preservation of the muscles that protect the spine and provide lifelong stability and strength. The technical details of a successful all endoscopic discectomy done via a posterior approach are important. In this video I narrate the steps involved, using an example of a left sided L4-5 disc herniation in a young male who works in the construction industry. This operation is done via a very small incision — approximately 1 cm in length — using a tube that is just larger than a standard #2 pencil. In spite of the small incision and operating through a tube called a cannula, I believe that I am able to better see fine anatomic details inside the spinal canal. control bleeding, and removed the herniated disc with barely disturbing the healthy muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other structures that support the spine.