Research indicates that nearly everyone will experience low back pain at one time or another. Back pain, and related symptoms like sciatica, can limit your ability to enjoy your normal work or recreational activities.
There are many treatments for back pain, ranging from conservative therapies and exercise to injections and, ultimately, surgery. Many people find relief with simple exercises or injections, but some people require a surgical intervention to effectively manage their lumbar spine pain or sciatica.
If your doctor recommends you have surgery, it is a good idea to learn about the different types of surgery available to help back pain. Finding a reputable Bergen County, New Jersey neurosurgeon who practices in a top rated surgical facility is an important step to take when preparing for your lumbar surgery.
What Causes Back Pain and Sciatica?
There are many different causes of back pain or sciatica. Typical causes of symptoms coming from your low back include:
- Herniated or bulging discs
- Degenerative disc disease
- Facet joint arthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
If you are dealing with back pain or sciatica and your doctor diagnoses you with one of these conditions, he or she may recommend surgery to correct your problem.
In general, two different types of surgical approaches are used by NJ surgeons to treat back pain or sciatica: the standard open approach and the more innovative minimally invasive spine surgery.
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spine Surgery
Minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery is performed by a specially trained neurosurgeon. The goal of the surgery is to take pressure off your spinal nerves by removing disc or bony material that may be compressing those nerves. So how is minimally invasive spine surgery different from the standard open approach to spinal surgery?
During minimally invasive spine surgery your neurosurgeon will use a tiny incision in your low back. Specialized instruments will then be introduced through the incision to visualize your spinal discs, nerves and joints.
Then, your surgeon will use those instruments to cut away the material that is compressing your nerves, eliminating your pain and improving your mobility.
The standard, open spine surgery requires that your surgeon make a large incision and dissect your lumbar muscles away from your spinal bones. Then, your surgeon visualizes your nerves, and surgical tools are used to decompress your spinal nerves.
Both surgical approaches are done to achieve the same goal-alleviate your pain and improve your mobility by decompressing your spinal nerves. Benefits of choosing minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery include:
- Decreased blood loss
- Decreased risk of infection
- Less pain
- Sparing of lumbar muscles with no dissection off the vertebrae
- Rapid return to normal mobility
Finding a surgeon who performs minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery in Bergen County, NJ may help you enjoy a faster recovery with less risk. Finding the right surgical center to have your minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery is an equally important task.
Finding the Best Facility for Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spine Surgery in Bergen County, NJ
When considering spine surgery, many New Jersey residents overlook Bergen County and seek out a medical center in a larger metropolitan area. They feel that large city hospitals offer the best care. This simply is not true.
When looking for a Bergen County, NJ surgical center or hospital to have your minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery, there are a few characteristics that you should focus on. These include:
- Travel for you and your family is a simple process
- Staffed with caring professionals who treat you with courtesy and respect
- Equipped with innovative diagnostic and surgical equipment
The facility you choose should be a modern facility and staffed by healthcare professionals who understand your condition and who will work with you and your family to provide the best care for your minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery.
Some metropolitan facilities may provide concierge services, like riverside views, that may be nice to have, but they may not be the best fit for you. You ultimately need to find a surgical center or hospital that provides you with personalized care in a modern, stress free setting.
Finding a Top Rated Neurosurgeon for Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spine Surgery
Although finding a top rated Bergen County, NJ surgical facility is an important step when planning your lumbar surgery, finding the best neurosurgeon to perform your surgery is paramount.
The best surgeon for you is one who is willing to listen to your concerns and will take time to answer any questions that you may have about your surgery. He or she will offer you different treatments and alternatives to surgery, and you should feel a certain level of trust in your doctor.
You should feel like your neurosurgeon is working with you in a therapeutic alliance to help you fully recover. Your doctor’s staff should also work patiently with you to ensure that you understand insurance requirements and feel comfortable choosing to have minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery in NJ.
Managing low back pain and sciatica can be a difficult task, and when a doctor recommends surgery for your lumbar spine it may increase your anxiety about your condition.
Finding a top rated neurosurgeon who practices in a modern surgical facility in Bergen County, NJ should be one of your top priorities to help you enjoy a speedy recovery and a positive outcome.
