IS OPEN SURGERY BAD FOR YOU?
When I was trained 20+yeasr ago, open surgery is a standard of care. But we kept seeing the patients came back for more problems. Recent researches showed that what we knew and what we did in the past likely contribute to the ongoing problems that the patient has. Well, we learn from our mistakes. Many researchers showed that the open surgery causing damage to the “essential” muscle in the back named “Multifidus”. It is the key stabilizing muscle in the lower back. Unfortunately, the open surgery that we did which we completely detach those muscles form the underneath bone, completely damage those muscles. And that’s why the majority of patients continue suffering after open surgery.
In summary, Traditional spinal surgery carries a risk for injury to back muscles and is associated with significant blood loss, long hospital stays and recovery times. Minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques and navigation for spinal surgery are rapidly evolving. Recent reports on less invasive spinal surgery indicate that minimally invasive spinal surgery reduces many downsides of traditional spinal surgery. Minimally invasive surgery and navigation include technically demanding techniques that require extensive updating of a surgeon’s skills through hands-on training and education. That’s why it is hard to master.
Unfortunately, open surgery is still the gold standard for some of the spinal disorders such as severe deformity (scoliosis), flatback, tumor, cancer, and infection.
Talk to your surgeon or seek a second opinion to find out if you are a candidate for Endoscopic or MIS surgery.
