Welcome to the “Endoscopic Spine Surgery” Era

Authors: Dr. Gaurang Vaghani, Dr. Hard Vasavada & Dr. Mayank Vekariya

Indeed, endoscopic spine surgery has been making significant strides in the field of spinal surgery. Its minimally invasive nature offers several advantages over traditional open surgery, including smaller incisions, less tissue damage, reduced blood loss, and faster recovery times. This approach utilizes specialized instruments and imaging technology to access the spine through small incisions, allowing surgeons to perform intricate procedures with greater precision.

One of the key benefits of endoscopic spine surgery is its ability to target specific areas of the spine while minimizing disruption to surrounding tissues and structures. This can lead to quicker recovery times, less postoperative pain, and lower rates of complications compared to traditional open surgery. To provide a simple analogy, if we understand endoscopic spine surgery as a surgical strike towards pathology, open surgery resembles a war where collateral damage, in the form of muscle disruption, occurs while targeting the disc or ligamentum flavum.

As technology continues to advance and surgeons gain more experience with endoscopic techniques, we can expect further refinements and improvements in the field. This could potentially expand the range of conditions that can be treated with endoscopic approaches, offering new hope to patients with spinal disorders.

BENEFITS OF ENDOSCOPIC SPINE SURGERY:

Endoscopic spine surgery offers several benefits compared to traditional open surgery:

Safe: The minimally invasive nature of endoscopic spine surgery can lead to a lower risk of complications such as infection, blood loss, and damage to surrounding tissues and nerves.

Preservation of Muscles and Tissues: Endoscopic techniques allow surgeons to access the spine while minimizing disruption to muscles and soft tissues. This can help preserve muscle function and reduce the incidence of postoperative pain.

Less Invasiveness: Endoscopic techniques involve making smaller incisions compared to traditional open surgery. This results in less trauma to surrounding tissues, reduced blood loss, and decreased postoperative pain.

No Ugly Scar: With incisions barely exceeding 1 cm on your back, endoscopic spine surgery minimizes healing issues and avoids unsightly scars.

Early Recovery: Patients undergoing endoscopic spine surgery typically experience quicker recovery times compared to open surgery. Since the procedure is less invasive, patients may be able to return to their daily activities sooner.

TYPES OF ENDOSCOPIC SPINE SURGERY:

We chiefly perform below mentioned procedures:

1. Transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD)

2. Percutaneous Interlaminar approach

3. Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Surgery (UBE)(Endoscopic Assisted Procedure)

VARIOUS CONDITIONS APPROACHED BY ENDOSCOPIC SPINE SURGERY:

Degenerative Disc Prolapse – A. All types (Central, Paracentral, Foraminal, Extra-Foraminal) B. All Locations (Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar)

Central or Lateral Canal Stenosis

Spondylolisthesis

Infective Spondylodiscitis

Other degenerative spine conditions

We at Rajkot Sterling Hospital, treat patients with various kinds of endoscopic spine surgeries with excellent outcomes.