If you are dealing with low back pain or sciatica, you understand how difficult it can be to comfortably move around. Sitting, bending or standing can be painful or impossible, and engaging in your normal work or recreational activities may become significantly limited.
There are many different causes of sciatica. These may include:
- Facet joint arthritis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD)
- Spinal stenosis
- Herniated or bulging lumbar discs.
Treatments for back pain and sciatica include physical therapy, chiropractic care or injections. If your symptoms are severe, your doctor may recommend lumbar surgery to help control your pain.
There are different types of surgical procedures to help treat lower back pain or sciatica. Your doctor may need to perform a lumbar fusion with hardware to help stabilize your spine. A procedure called a microdiscectomy may be necessary to help relieve pressure from pinched nerves. A foraminotomy may be recommended by your doctor to decompress your spinal nerves.
While there are many different procedures to help back pain, there are two different general approaches to lumbar spine surgery: open surgery or a minimally invasive approach. Many NJ neurosurgeons perform open spine surgery, and a select few utilize the innovative minimally invasive lumbar surgery to treat back pain and sciatica.
What is Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spine Surgery?
Minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery is a relatively new approach to spine care. During the procedure, your doctor makes a small incision in your lower back where tiny holes are made in your lumbar musculature. Specialized instruments are then used to visualize the surgical field and to decompress your spinal nerves.
Once your nerves are adequately decompressed and your spine is stabilized, the specialized instruments are removed, and your small incisions are closed using sutures or steri strips. Most patients spend just one evening in the hospital before returning home to start their recovery after minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery.
Benefits of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
When compared to open spine surgery, which requires a large incision and dissection of your back muscles, minimally invasive spine surgery offers many superior benefits. These benefits include:
- Less blood loss during surgery
- Sparing of your lower back muscles
- Less risk of infection
- Decreased pain
- Rapid return to normal activities
Since the open procedure requires your doctor to remove your back muscles from their attachment points along your spine, your recovery after such a procedure is lengthened to allow for adequate healing of those muscles. The open procedure may also leave you prone to infection or excessive blood loss during the surgery.
The benefits of minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery attract many back pain sufferers in New Jersey who are looking for rapid relief from pain using this innovative approach. Finding the right facility to have your minimally invasive spine surgery can help you have the best outcome from the procedure.
Where to Get Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spine Surgery in NJ
When patients learn of the superior benefits of minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery, they typically start looking for New Jersey doctors who perform these types of procedures. Why? Because they understand that this type of surgery can offer them rapid relief of pain and a quick return to their previous lifestyle.
So, how do you find a top-rated spine center that offers minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery? Finding a top-rated minimally invasive spine clinic is easy to do if your are willing to do your homework. Visit a few doctors and ask about the type of procedure that they do when managing patients with back pain.
To find NJ neurosurgeons who perform minimally invasive spine surgery, you can:
- Ask your family physician for a recommendation
- Ask family members of friends who may have had back surgery
- Search the internet for reviews about spine centers who offer minimally invasive surgery
Most importantly, you should meet with several different doctors and find the best doctor for you to perform your minimally invasive spine surgery.
Choosing the Best Neurosurgeon in NJ
Finding the best neurosurgeon to perform your minimally invasive spine surgery should be one of your top concerns when considering spine surgery. Your doctor should be a trusted ally when you are having surgery.
When meeting with doctors to discuss minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery, your doctor should listen to your concerns and take time to answer any questions that you may have. He or she should offer you reasonable alternatives to surgery, and you should feel a certain level of trust in your doctor to perform the best surgery for your condition.
The right doctor doing the right surgery can lead you to the most successful outcome with your minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery. Dealing with back pain and sciatica can be difficult. The pain can limit your normal active lifestyle and make life miserable.
When surgery is recommended to definitively treat your condition, taking time to find a New Jersey surgical center that performs minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery can offer you a rapid recovery and a smooth return to your previous level of activity.
