Because of technology and medical advancements, doctors may now treat a variety of common back and neck issues with laser spine surgery, which is often less painful and heals faster than traditional open spine surgery.

Laser spine surgery, also known as minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS), is performed without the need for a large 5- to 6-inch incision in your back, which was once customary in back surgery. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the operation is still held as a last resort when other nonsurgical therapies, such as physical therapy and epidural injections, have not relieved pain and discomfort in your back or neck.

If your doctor can detect the exact area or source of your discomfort, he or she can treat it with a minimally invasive laser method. During the procedure, your doctor will gain access to your spine using small incisions made with specialist devices. One of the key advantages of laser spine surgery is that it may be conducted as an outpatient operation, eliminating the need for a lengthy hospital stay.

What Conditions Can Be Treated?

MISS may be the appropriate solution for a variety of degenerative and other disorders affecting your neck or back and causing discomfort. The following are five common conditions that can be addressed using a minimally invasive procedure:

1. Spinal Cord Tumors

A spinal cord tumor, also known as an intradural tumor, is a growth that forms among the bones of your spine or within your spinal canal. They are categorized as one of three types of tumors based on where they develop in relation to the protective membranes of your spinal cord or if they have metastasized from other parts of your body to the vertebrae.

2. Pinched Nerve

Pinched nerves can occur anywhere in your body when nerves are subjected to excessive pressure from surrounding tissues such as tendons, muscles, cartilage, and bones. The pressure interferes with the nerve's functions, resulting in numbness, discomfort, or tingling.

3. Herniated Disc

Herniated discs, also known as slipped or ruptured disks, are fairly common diseases in which the soft, gel-like nucleus of a spinal disc pushes through a tear or rupture in the annulus, or the hard outer layer, into the spinal canal. When the disc's inner substance leaks, it can cause excruciating agony. Lower back herniated discs are the most prevalent.

4. Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis occurs when the gaps within your spine constrict, placing pressure on the nerves throughout your spine. It is most frequent in the neck or lower back. Cervical stenosis, which develops in the spine of your neck, and lumbar stenosis, which happens in the spine of your lower back, are the two main kinds of spinal stenosis.

5. Sciatica

Sciatica is a back pain problem that is frequently caused by a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or a bone spur on the spine. When these spinal issues arise, they can place pressure on your sciatic nerve, causing intense, shooting pain to flow down the back of your thigh from your lower back through your hips and buttocks.

What Are the Benefits of Laser Spine Surgery?

There is less chance of infection, blood loss, and potential injury to your back muscles and soft tissue with laser spine surgery than with standard open surgery. Because the treatment is less intrusive, your hospital stay and overall recovery time should be reduced. Furthermore, surgeons are constantly improving the procedures used in minimally invasive spine surgery in order to treat patients with greater accuracy and fewer complications.

Contact your doctor to find out if laser spine surgery can treat your back or neck pain. Your doctor should be experienced in using minimally invasive treatments to treat a wide range of disorders that can cause you pain.