DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASES

If your surgeon has determined that your spine condition requires surgery you may benefit from:

 

Fusion surgery
Your surgeon will operate on your spine removing the diseased disc(s) (discectomy) and replace it with an implant called a “cage” to restore the disc height and potentially allow bone to grow between your vertebrae. This is called fusion. Your surgeon may also insert screws and rods in the back of your spine to stabilize the vertebrae.
In case of neck pain, it might be that your surgeon decides to treat it with an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedure. You will be operated on your spine from the front of your neck (anterior cervical approach). Also in this case, the diseased disc(s) will be removed (discectomy) and replaced by a “cage” and, in addition, your surgeon may place a "plate" to stabilize your spine while it is fusing.

Minimally Invasive Surgery
Your back has strong muscles and other tissues that your surgeon has to cut or separate in order to reach your spine.
When using a minimally invasive technique, your surgeon is able to operate through a smaller incision and potentially preserve more back muscles and tissues than with open surgery. Depending on your condition, you and your surgeon will decide together on the surgical procedure that is best for you.

DEFORMITY-SCOLIOSIS

In 90 percent of cases, scoliotic curves are mild and do not require active treatment.[3] If non-operative treatment is preferred, it may include periodic observation, pain relievers, bracing and exercises. It is very important to monitor curves in adolescent patients to prevent the progression of the pathology. Bracing could be an appropriate treatment option to prevent an increase in the spinal deformity.

Surgical treatment is indicated for patients for whom the conservative approach has failed. It may be based on the following criteria:

  • Severe deformity (greater than 50 degrees)[4]
  • Unbearable back pain
  • Leg pain and neurologic deficit
  • Muscle fatigue caused by spinal imbalance 
  • Curve progression
  • Difficulty breathing

The goals of surgical treatment are to obtain curve correction and to prevent curve progression by fusing the spine at the optimum degree of safe correction of the deformity. This is generally achieved by placing metal implants onto the spine that are then attached to rods, which correct the spine curvature and holds it in the corrected position until fusion (knitting of the spine elements) occurs.