Post-Surgery Care Basics

Some general rules apply to all patients following back surgery. First and foremost, plan on taking an active role in your recovery, and that starts by getting into shape before your back surgery. With your surgeon, physical therapist, and others, discuss what activities you can engage in, as well as restrictions you need to observe. If you don’t have someone who can provide the assistance you will need in the first days after your return home following back surgery, you can talk to your doctor about in-home care.

Creating a Recovery-Friendly Home Environment

Adjusting and preparing your home to facilitate healing will set you up for success. Follow these tips to create a recovery-friendly environment:

• If your bedroom is currently on the upper floor of your home, set up a temporary bedroom on the ground level. This will spare you from having to climb stairs in the early stages of recovery. You may also need to adjust your bed’s height so you can get in and out of it easily. 
• Plan and complete your laundry ahead of time. Laundry will be much more difficult to do after the procedure when you’re in the early stages of healing. 
• Place essential items (clothing, food, water, books, TV remotes, etc.) at hip height, ensuring you won’t have to bend or strain to reach them. 
• Eliminate all tripping hazards, including cords, wires, rugs, loose floorboards, and clutter, as a fall could be detrimental to your recovery. 
• Meal prep by storing nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals in the freezer. Alternatively, plan for a loved one to take over cooking while you recover. It’s also wise to stock your pantry with healthy, easy-to-access snacks.  

Daily Activity Modifications After Spinal Surgery

You won’t be completely bedridden after spinal surgery; In fact, it’s best to avoid long stretches of bed rest to prevent lost mobility and muscle atrophy. But you’ll need to adhere to significant activity restrictions to avoid overexerting the spine as it heals. 

Walking is the best physical activity during the first six weeks post-surgery. It helps keep your blood flowing without straining your spine. Start slowly and work up to 30 minutes at least twice a day. While some soreness is normal, stop if you experience significant discomfort while walking and talk to your doctor. 

Avoid twisting and bending during this time, and avoid lifting, pushing, or pulling anything that weighs more than ten pounds. These activities place significant impact on the spine and could sabotage healing. 

Pain Management Techniques at Home

Some pain is normal after spinal surgery as your body works hard to repair damaged tissue. While you should follow your surgeon’s specific guidelines for at-home pain management techniques, they often include pain medications, cold/heat therapy, and relaxation exercises.  

Pain Medication Considerations

You will be prescribed pain medications after spinal surgery, which may include painkillers to help manage discomfort or muscle relaxants to help prevent spasms. As you adjust to life post-surgery, take all medications as advised and let your body rest. You may require frequent naps, as your body recovers from the stress of surgery, and narcotic pain medications induce drowsiness.

But pain medications can also have negative side effects, and continued use may prolong recovery time and lead to dependency. Narcotic pain medications cause constipation. Weaning yourself off pain medication should be a recuperation goal. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids during this recovery period. You should be off pain medication three months after surgery. 

Cold and Heat Therapy

Cold and heat therapy are time-tested remedies to help with pain and inflammation. Cold therapy is often recommended in the early healing stages, as it brings down inflammation and provides a temporary numbing effect. Research even suggests that cold therapy may help reduce opioid use for pain management after spine fusion. 

To safely reap the benefits of cold therapy after spinal surgery, make sure to wrap the ice pack to prevent direct contact with your skin. Ensure the wrap is dry, as you’ll need to keep your incision dry after the procedure, and limit sessions to 20 minutes. Talk to your surgeon for more cold therapy safety tips. 

Heat therapy can be used in the later stages of your recovery, once the incision has healed. It boosts blood flow to the area and calms muscle tension, both of which can help with post-operative pain. Protect your skin from direct contact with the heating pad and don’t heat the area for longer than 15 to 20 minutes. 

Relaxation Exercises

Relaxation exercises like mindfulness meditation, breathing exercises, and guided imagery can help with pain sensitivity after spinal fusion. As a natural, drug-free way to manage pain, many people find relaxation exercises to be a helpful tool in their postoperative healing journey. 

Essential Recovery Items and Equipment

Various items and equipment can help you move around the house and complete basic tasks more comfortably after surgery. Examples include:

• Grabber tool
• Walker or cane
• Shower chair
• Toilet riser
• Back scratcher
• Long-handled shoehorn
• Long-handled sponge
• Mini-fridge

Nutrition and Hydration for Optimal Healing

Your nutrition can help or hinder your body’s ability to heal after spinal surgery. Along with staying hydrated throughout the day with water, electrolyte drinks, and herbal tea, fill your diet with nutrient-dense foods like:

• Whole grains
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Beans and other legumes
• Nuts and seeds
• Low-fat dairy products
• Lean protein sources, including chicken, turkey, and fish

Sleep Positioning and Comfort Tips

Falling asleep comfortably can feel like an uphill battle after spinal surgery, but it’s crucial to tissue regeneration and healing. The first step is to find a good sleeping position: Generally, the best sleeping position after spinal surgery is on your back with your knees bent and a pillow under your knees for support. This provides the best support for your spine and prevents extra stress on the lumbar spine. 

If you struggle to fall asleep on your back, try sleeping on your side with a pillow in between your knees. In this position, be careful to avoid twisting your spine, as it could lead to pain. 

Wearing soft, loose-fitting clothing, using a white noise machine, and winding down before bed can all help you drift off in comfort after spinal surgery. 

Simplify Post-Surgery Care With Advanced Spinal Procedures

Another step you can take to ease post-surgery care is to select the procedure with the best outcomes and fewest post-surgical complications for the treatment of your condition. For example, the TOPS (Total Posterior Solution) System has been shown in clinical studies around the world to provide better clinical outcomes than spinal fusion back surgery following spinal decompression therapy.

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TOPS is an approved implant that offers a means of stabilizing the spine after spinal decompression treatment. Unlike spine fusion surgery, the TOPS implant preserves the independent movement of the vertebrae. Making sure you choose the procedure with the best clinical outcomes can help ensure you’ll have the best possible recovery.

But pain medications can also have negative side effects, and if continued, their use will prolong recovery time and lead to dependency. Narcotic pain medications cause constipation. Weaning yourself off pain medication should be a recuperation goal. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids during this recovery period. You should be off pain medication three months after surgery. Walking is the best physical activity during the first six weeks post-surgery. Start slowly and work up to 30 minutes at least twice a day. Avoid twisting and bending during this time, and avoid lifting, pushing, or pulling anything that weighs more than ten pounds.

Another step you can take to ease post-surgery care is to select the procedure with the best outcomes and fewest post-surgical complications for the treatment of your condition. For example, the TOPS (Total Posterior Solution) System has been shown in clinical studies around the world to provide better clinical outcomes than spinal fusion back surgery following spinal decompression therapy. TOPS is an approved implant that offers a means of stabilizing the spine after spinal decompression treatment. Unlike spine fusion surgery, the TOPS implant preserves independent movement of the vertebrae. Making sure you choose the procedure with the best clinical outcomes can help ensure you’ll have the best possible recovery.

The post How do I Care for Myself at Home After My Spinal Surgery? appeared first on Premia Spine.

Although a slipped disc can typically be managed with non-invasive methods, there are cases that require surgery. Here, we’ll discuss slipped disc surgery, when it’s needed, and what it entails.

Understanding Disc Herniation

The spinal discs act as cushions in the spine. Located in between each vertebra, the discs absorb impact and reduce the stress imparted on the spinal bones. 

Unfortunately, age-related degeneration, repetitive movements, and sudden trauma to the spine can damage the spinal discs. A disc is considered herniated when the tough disc exterior becomes cracked and the soft disc interior extends outward. 

When this injury occurs, fluid from within the disc can leak into the spinal canal. Here, it can disrupt the spinal nerve function.

A slipped disc in the spine is often the final stage in the process of disc degeneration. This process typically begins with a bulging disc, which occurs when the disc exterior weakens and the disc bulges out to one side. This may progress to a protruding disc before the disc finally ruptures. Although the name may be misleading, a “slipped disc” has not actually shifted position.

Slipped Disc Symptoms

Symptoms of a slipped disc can vary depending on the location of the damaged disc and the severity of the rupture. If a slipped disc doesn’t impart pressure on a nerve, it may be entirely unnoticeable to the patient. However, if a slipped disc does press on adjacent nerves, it may cause pain, numbness, weakness, and tingling.

A slipped disc in the neck, which is known as a slipped cervical disc, may trigger symptoms in the shoulders, arms, or chest. A slipped disc in the lower back, which is known as a slipped lumbar disc, may cause sciatica. This refers to pain that radiates downward from the lower back, causing nerve pain in the buttocks, legs, and feet.

What Can Cause a Slipped Disc?

The most prevalent causes of slipped discs are:

• Spinal degeneration from the natural aging process

As people age, the spinal discs naturally become drier and weaker. This, along with accumulated wear and tear on the spine over the course of many years, can lead to a slipped disc. Disc herniated most commonly occurs in patients between the ages of 35 and 50. 

• Injuries caused by excessive stress on the spinal column

Improperly lifting heavy objects and exercising with improper bodily mechanics are examples of activities that may cause a slipped disc. Athletes in sports that place significant stress on the spine, including football and weightlifting, are often at a heightened risk of disc herniation. 

Smoking, excess body weight and a sedentary lifestyle also increase the risk of developing a slipped disc. Sudden trauma to the spine, (which may occur during an automobile accident, for example) may cause a slipped disc, although it’s rare. 

Slipped Disc Treatments

Treatments for slipped disc include:

• Physical therapy

Slipped disc treatment without surgery typically involves physical therapy. Targeted slipped disc exercises and PT can alleviate tension, improve your posture, and strengthen the muscles that support the spine.

Additionally, physical therapy can help reduce the pressure of the damaged disc on your spinal nerves. Your physical therapist may recommend alternative therapies such as massage, acupuncture, and electrostimulation to further enhance your recovery process. 

• Medication to relieve pain and inflammation

Certain medications can be used to manage pain and inflammation from a slipped disc. Over-the-counter options are available, as well as prescription medications from your doctor. Always consult your doctor before starting a new medication. 

• Surgery

In some cases, surgery for slipped discs is required for the patient to make a full recovery.

When Does a Slipped Disc Require Surgery?

As we’ve already mentioned, slipped discs rarely require surgery and heal with non-invasive methods. However, a slipped disc may require surgery if:

• Non-invasive methods have failed after several months
• The patient is experiencing radiating back pain, (known as sciatica), which isn’t responding to conservative methods
• The patient has constant pain that’s diminishing their quality of life
• The patient’s basic mobility is compromised (i.e. trouble standing and walking)
• The patient has neurological symptoms that are noticeably worsening 

Before undergoing an invasive procedure, patients must talk to their doctors and learn about the slipped disc surgery risks. 

Patient Selection Criteria for Surgery

Physicians often follow certain criteria to ensure patients are a good fit for spinal surgery. Along with the points listed above, these selection criteria may involve:

• • The presence of underlying medical conditions, like diabetes, which can increase the risk of surgical complications
• BMI (Body Mass Index), as patients who are overweight or obese are at a higher risk of complications
• Cardiac health, which can help your surgeon determine the risk of a cardiovascular event resulting from the procedure
• Opioid dependency, which impacts the patient’s ability to safely use certain postoperative pain medications
• Psychosocial factors, like the patient’s support system, can impact their recovery 

Surgeons may also use the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification System, a standardized tool that can help predict risks during the surgery. It evaluates factors that contribute to this risk, including systemic disease, pregnancy, smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity. 

What Kind of Surgery is Done For a Slipped Disc?

Decompression surgery is most commonly performed for a slipped disc. This surgical method involves alleviating pressure on the spinal nerves by removing spinal tissue. There are different types of spinal decompression surgery, including discectomy, laminectomy, corpectomy, and foraminotomy. 

Spinal fusion back surgery is often performed in conjunction with surgery for a slipped disc. The fusion stabilizes the spine but eliminates the natural independent motion of the newly-fused vertebrae.

Today, many patients are choosing the TOPS (Total Posterior Spine) System as an alternative to spinal fusion surgery. The TOPS solution provides better clinical outcomes and preserves the independent motion of the vertebrae. This is just one of the medical advancements bringing new, improved therapies to patients worldwide.

Types of Minimally Invasive Disc Surgeries

Minimally invasive disc surgeries involve smaller incisions, less tissue damage, and less trauma to the body overall. This makes them a safer, preferred alternative to more invasive surgeries for eligible patients. Types of minimally invasive disc surgeries include:

• Microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open discectomy, involving less trauma and a smaller incision. During the procedure, your surgeon will use surgical glasses or a microscope to visualize the spine, removing damaged portions of disc tissue, ligament, and bone. The goal is to remove tissue that’s impinging on nearby nerve roots to alleviate discomfort. 
• Endoscopic discectomy involves using an endoscope (a long, thin tube with a tiny camera on the end) to visualize the inside of the body through a small incision. Endoscopes can be used in various procedures, including discectomy for a lumbar herniated disc. 
• Percutaneous discectomy is another minimally invasive technique that involves extracting portions of the disc’s center through a needle and a small incision in the skin. The surgeon uses X-ray technology and a special probe to visualize the spine without disturbing large amounts of tissue. 

Technological Advancements in Disc Surgery

Technological advancements in disc surgery continue to pave the way for new techniques and procedures. Along with the minimally invasive methods listed above, examples include surgical navigation systems, robotics, and 3D printing. 

• • Navigation systems are a technological innovation involving real-time insights, guidance, and imaging to guide surgeons throughout the procedure. They can provide greater precision and improved outcomes with smaller incisions and less tissue disruption. 
• Robotics is gaining traction as an advanced tool to support surgeons in spinal surgery. Robotic guidance can improve instrument placement precision and stability to reduce the risk of accidental tissue damage. 
• 3D printing in spinal surgery allows surgeons to print spinal implants that fit the patient’s unique spinal structure. Additionally, some surgeons are choosing to print a 3D replica of the patient’s spine as a preoperative planning tool, which can improve accuracy during the procedure. 

Along with these innovations, for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis, the TOPS (Total Posterior Spine) System is a modern alternative to spinal fusion surgery. It’s a dynamic implant device that provides superior clinical outcomes and preserves the independent motion of the vertebrae after decompression. This is just one of the medical advancements bringing new, improved therapies to patients worldwide.

Comparing Surgical Approaches for Slipped Discs

If your physician has advised you to consider surgery for a slipped disc, you may be weighing the pros and cons of different procedures. Minimally invasive techniques offer a clear advantage over traditional open discectomy, as they involve less tissue damage, less scarring, a lower risk of complications, and a shorter recovery period. 

But if you’re a candidate for minimally invasive discectomy, you may need to take your comparison a step further by contrasting microdiscectomy and endoscopic discectomy. 

• Microdiscectomy considerations:
• • Proven success rate, with a study published in Medical Principles and Practice reporting a success rate of 84.3%
  • Longer track record, having been around since the 1970s
  • Return to normal activities within eight weeks
• Endoscopic discectomy considerations:
  • Even less invasive than microdiscectomy, with a smaller incision, less tissue disruption, and a shorter recovery period 
  • High success rate, with a study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine reporting a success rate of over 95%
  • Not appropriate for all cases and spinal conditions
  • Return to normal activities within four weeks

Ultimately, it’s up to you and your doctor to determine the best surgical approach for your needs.

How Long Does it Take to Recover From a Slipped Disc Surgery?

Spinal fusion surgery for a slipped disc involves an extensive recovery period. The procedure itself generally takes 4 to 6 hours to complete, and patients typically remain in the hospital for 2 to 4 days. The complete slipped disc surgery recovery time with spinal fusion may take anywhere from 6 months to a year. 

With the TOPS system, the slipped disc surgery recovery period is much less involved than that of spinal fusion. The procedure is considered minimally invasive and typically only lasts for 60 to 120 minutes. 

Patients can generally walk and move around just one day after TOPS surgery. After 4 to 6 weeks, patients reach their expected level of mobility. This recovery time for slipped disc surgery can be further aided by physical therapy and a nutrient-dense diet. 

Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Process

Post-surgery rehab for a slipped disc helps you regain strength and mobility while allowing your body to heal more effectively. In the long run, this can help prevent recurrent pain and other signs of failed back surgery. 

Common rehab techniques include:

• Pain management
• Activity restrictions
• Physical therapy
• Diet optimization and hydration 
• A gradual return to exercise 

What Is The Success Rate of Slipped Disc Operation?

Surgery for slipped discs involving spinal fusion can improve back pain and symptoms at a rate of anywhere from 60% to 90%, depending on the study. For TLIF surgery with spinal fusion, studies have shown that the procedure improves patients’ pain by 60% to 70%, with an 80% satisfaction rate among patients. 

With that said, it’s difficult to determine the success rate of slipped disc surgery with fusion without considering the risks. Patients may lose a significant degree of mobility in this procedure, which can diminish their quality of life.

Additionally, the risk of increased degeneration around the fused segment, which is known as adjacent segment disease, must be taken into account. The prevalence of adjacent segment disease in patients who undergo lumbar spinal fusion ranges from 2% to 14%.

To evaluate the success rate of the TOPS System for slipped disc surgery, we can consider the results of a 7-year follow-up study. The study evaluated 10 patients suffering from spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis who underwent spinal decompression with TOPS. 

• The visual analog scale score for back and leg pain dropped from 56.2 before surgery to 19 7-year post-op mark. 
• The Oswestry disability questionnaire, which is often used to measure back pain, fell from 83.5 before the procedure to 8.8 at the 7-year post-op mark. 
• An MRI examination 7 years after the procedure didn’t show spinal stenosis adjacent to the stabilized segment. 

Although spinal surgery for a slipped disc is widely considered to be a last resort, it can help patients achieve pain relief, improved mobility, and a higher quality of life. If you’re experiencing symptoms of disc herniation, schedule an appointment with your doctor for an evaluation.

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All patients undergoing back surgery should actively ensure that the healing process goes as smoothly as possible. In doing so, you can attain the best possible results from the procedure while avoiding complications that could compromise your health. 

Proper incision care is a key step in the process of adopting healthy habits and positive lifestyle choices to promote healing. As an aspect of your spinal surgery recovery, incision care will benefit your overall health. 

Here, we’ll discuss how to care for a spinal incision to ensure a successful surgical recovery and back pain relief. Additionally, we’ll explore innovations in the field of spine surgery that allow for smaller incisions and, as a result, a lower risk of complications. 

How Are Incisions Closed After Spinal Surgery?

After spinal surgery, the incision may be closed with Steri-Strips, staples, or sutures, including dissolvable sutures. Most often, spinal surgeons use a combination of these closure methods.

Since spinal surgery is performed beneath the layers of skin and muscle in the back, the incision must be closed at various layers. Your surgeon will suture the muscle layer together before closing the skin. 

• Sutures are also commonly referred to as stitches. This wound closure method involves using sterile surgical threads, which are stronger than the threads most people are familiar with. The surgeon uses these threads with a needle to suture the incision closed, and certain types of sutures will dissolve within a few weeks of the procedure. 
• Staples are metal clips. They allow for fast wound closure but don’t dissolve. So, you’ll need to return to your surgeon to have them removed after the procedure (typically seven to 14 days post-op). 
• Steri-Strips are adhesive bandages that may be used to help close an incision after spinal surgery. They may be applied over dissolvable stitches to help keep the skin closed or to help the wound heal after the sutures are removed. 

Preparing and Recovering From Back Surgery

In preparing for back surgery, patients should begin on a path of improving their diet and physical activity. These practices will improve your overall health to ensure that the spinal surgery goes off without a hitch. 

With that said, implementing healthy habits is not only essential for the surgery itself but also for the recovery process following the operation. While continuing the positive lifestyle changes that you applied before the procedure, make sure to rigorously follow your doctor’s orders, including those about what medications to avoid. Certain medications can interfere with the healing process, namely including NSAIDs. NSAIDs, like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, are blood thinners and can impair the body’s repair processes.

How Do You Treat an Incision After Back Surgery?

Proper care for the surgical incision is one of the most important aspects of post-operative home recuperation following back surgery. 

Immediately After The Procedure

You won’t be permitted to apply any ointments or lotions to the incision while it’s healing. You also shouldn’t bathe in a tub, swim, or use a hot tub until your incision is healed. Immersing the incision in water before your surgeon clears you to do so may increase your risk of infection and inhibit the healing process. 

Additionally, you’ll need to keep the incision clean after spinal surgery. You can clean the incision site with soap and water, then gently dry it with a clean cloth. This helps prevent infection as the incision heals. 

Two Weeks After The Procedure

In most cases, non-dissolvable sutures and staples are removed 14 days following the spinal surgery. At this point, the incision is usually fully healed. 

Six Weeks After The Procedure

Many spinal surgery patients are eager to reduce scarring by applying scar treatments and vitamin creams to the incision. However, you must wait to get the go-ahead from your surgeon before doing so. Typically, surgeons allow patients to start applying scar creams six weeks after the procedure. 

Signs of Proper Incision Healing

Signs that your incision is healing properly after spinal surgery include:

• A steady decrease in redness and swelling
• Scabbing
• Scar formation:
  • Incision edges draw closer together
  • Thickening around the edges
• Some sharp or shooting sensations in the incision region, indicating nerves in the area are regaining sensation
  • Note: This sensation should become less intense and less frequent over time. If it persists, talk to your doctor. 
• Thinning and flattening of the scar
• Scar returning to your normal skin color

Incision site swelling and redness are to be expected in the first few days after the procedure—your surgeon can provide a more precise time frame. However, if this inflammation lingers beyond the expected time period or is accompanied by other warning signs, it’s time to contact your doctor. 

When to Call Your Doctor: Warning Signs

Ideally, your incision will transition from a wound to a scab to a scar, eventually healing completely. But in some cases, incisions don’t heal properly and become infected. Keep an eye out for these infection warning signs and contact your doctor promptly if any of them appear:

• Redness, swelling, warmth, or pain that persists beyond the expected period without improvement (typically around a week)
• Oozing pus
• Odor coming from the incision
• Fever and/or chills

Infected surgical wounds may be superficial (involving only the skin), deep (involving the muscle and deeper tissue), or go even deeper and affect the spine. The infection depth will impact the proposed treatment plan, although many cases can be resolved with antibiotics. In some cases, surgery may be required to fully clean out the infected wound. 

Managing Incision Pain and Discomfort

Some incision-site discomfort is normal after spinal surgery. Although it should improve within about a week as your body recovers, proper wound care and at-home remedies can help ease your pain. 

Incision care tips to manage discomfort:

• Keep the incision clean and dry, being careful to avoid submerging it in water until cleared to do so by your surgeon. 
• Only apply ointments, lotions, or other topicals as advised by your surgeon. 
• Follow all post-operative instructions for incision care, including attending a follow-up appointment for suture or staple removal. 

At-home remedies to help with incision-site discomfort:

• Pain medication, as prescribed by your surgeon
• Cold therapy, making sure to wrap ice packs properly to protect your skin and keep the incision dry
• Compression bandages may help prevent swelling, fluid accumulation, and discomfort (when used as recommended by your surgeon) 

Products to Avoid on Your Healing Incision

Various topical products can irritate, dry out, or otherwise compromise your healing incision. These include:

• Lotions and creams, unless recommended by your physician
• Harsh topicals:
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Iodine
  • Antibacterial soaps
  • Other harsh cleansers
• Chemical sunscreens
• Retinoids
• Herbal topicals
• Perfume, cologne, and other fragrances

When it comes to applying topical products, stick to your surgeon’s recommendations. They may prescribe a topical or recommend a petroleum jelly-based ointment to keep the incision hydrated, which can support the healing process. 

Long-Term Scar Care and Management

Scarring is often a major concern among patients heading into surgery. While scarring is an inevitable side effect of surgery, which requires an incision, long-term care can ensure it fades as quickly as possible. 

These scar care and management tips can help your skin heal effectively after spinal surgery. Keep in mind that these tips should only be implemented once your incision has fully closed and healed, leaving behind a flat scar. This may not occur until months after the procedure. 

• Protect it from the sun. A scar on your lower back, for example, may often be protected by clothing. But if you’re headed to the beach or pool in a swimsuit that leaves it exposed, apply sunscreen (and reapply every few hours) to prevent UV damage, which can darken the scar. 
• Try a gentle massage. Gently massaging your scar using circular motions can help keep the tissue beneath the skin flexible, leading to a smoother, softer scar. Clean the scar using a gentle cleanser before massaging it, and apply a few dabs of an unscented moisturizer. Begin with light pressure and gradually increase to deeper pressure (as long as it doesn’t become painful). 
• Consider silicone gel patches. Once the incision is fully closed and healed, wearing a gel patch over the scar can support healing by creating a hydrating, protective environment. This can help bring down redness and flatten the scar, making it less noticeable. Just make sure to talk to your doctor before applying any new product to the scar, including silicone sheets, and note that they shouldn’t be used on open wounds. 
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Positive lifestyle habits like quitting smoking, eating a nutritious diet, and staying hydrated support your body’s overall healing process, which may help with post-operative wound healing and scar reduction. 

How Long Does It Take For a Spinal Incision To Heal?

It generally takes about two weeks for a spinal incision, including a spinal stenosis incision, to completely heal. At this point, your surgeon will remove sutures and staples, as well as clear you to take baths and swim. However, this timeline can vary from patient to patient. 

Spinal incision infections typically appear two to four weeks after the procedure. Your surgeon will advise you to be aware of infection symptoms, which include fever, worsening redness at the incision, and changes in the infection drainage. If any of these symptoms occur, make sure to reach out to your surgeon immediately.

Additionally, if the surgeon places any hardware or devices during the procedure and an infection develops, they may need to be removed. This also applies to patients with an implantation spinal cord stimulator incision or spinal fusion incision. 

How Long Does It Take For Spinal Nerves to Heal After Surgery?

Immediately after the spinal nerves are decompressed in surgery, the healing process can begin. But, nerve tissue heals far slower than other types of tissue in the body, namely muscle tissue. So, while some patients will experience an immediate improvement in nerve pain after spinal surgery, other patients may need more time to notice a difference. 

In the weeks and months after spinal surgery, patients should notice a gradual improvement in neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and weakness. By adopting healthy lifestyle habits, such as engaging in low-impact exercise, eating healthily, and refraining from smoking, you can ensure that the spinal nerves heal as quickly as possible. 

Spinal Surgery Advances For Smaller Incisions

Surgeons always aim to create as small an incision as possible while successfully carrying out the procedure. This is because a smaller incision leads to less blood loss, less scarring, and a lower risk of infection. 

Fortunately, the last several years have seen a revolution in back surgery procedures and outcomes. Now, more minimally-invasive procedures are available to patients that require spinal surgery. These procedures allow for much smaller incisions, among other advantages over traditional open back surgery.

Spinal Fusion Alternatives

One procedure that can now be replaced with minimally-invasive alternatives is spinal fusion back surgery. This procedure was traditionally performed in conjunction with spinal decompression surgery for spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and related conditions. 

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Spinal fusion involves positioning an implant containing bone graft material in between the affected vertebrae. Over the course of several weeks after the procedure, the bone graft will trigger the fusing of the vertebrae, turning them into a single bone. As a result, the patient can avoid spinal instability after decompression surgery. 

Unfortunately, spinal fusion requires a long recovery period and eliminates the natural movement of the individual vertebrae. It also creates the risk of adjacent segment disorder, or ASD, which occurs when the vertebrae surrounding the fused segment degenerate more rapidly than they otherwise would. 

The TOPS System From Premia Spine

Thankfully, a spinal fusion alternative has emerged to improve outcomes and preserve patients’ range of motion: the TOPS (Total Posterior Solution) System. The TOPS System is an implant that facilitates a minimally-invasive spinal surgery. It’s been shown in clinical trials around the globe to provide superior outcomes for patients who undergo treatments such as lumbar laminectomy or other spinal decompression procedures for various causes of lower back pain. 

As the example of the TOPS System indicates, these advances in minimally-invasive back surgery allow for not only fewer complications in surgical incision healing, but also improved outcomes overall.

Don’t hesitate to discuss concerns surrounding post-op incision care with your surgeon, and make sure to explore all of your spine surgery options.

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Minimally invasive spine surgery is taken one step further by state-of-the-art miniaturized medical equipment, such as fiber optic cameras and microscopes. These procedures, often referred to as endoscopic spine surgery, lend themselves to treating a variety of spinal conditions and disorders including slipped disc and pinched nerves.

These minimally invasive spine surgery procedures can remove tissue exerting pressure on nerve roots emanating from the spine, providing dramatic relief for back pain and restricted mobility. However, like any form of surgery, endoscopic spine surgery should be performed only if non-surgical treatment options have been exhausted and these restricted access techniques can adequately address the patients’ diseases.

What Is Endoscopic Surgery?

Endoscopic surgery is defined as a surgical procedure that allows the surgeon to view the inside of the body using minimally invasive techniques. 

This surgical approach earned its name from the endoscope, which is a medical device devised of a long, thin tube, a light, and, often, a very small video camera at the tip. The endoscope can be inserted through a small incision (smaller than the incisions used in conventional spinal surgery) to provide a view of the spine. By using an endoscope, surgeons can precisely view and operate on the spinal structures without having to cut through the back muscles or significantly disrupt other tissues. 

Endoscopic surgery is a treatment option for chronic back pain, radiating pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness from various spinal conditions, including:

• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Herniated or ruptured disc
• Degenerative disc disease
• Osteoarthritis and bone spurs

Is Endoscopic Spine Surgery the Same as Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

Endoscopic spine surgery is a type of minimally invasive spine surgery. All endoscopic spine surgeries are minimally invasive, but not all minimally invasive spine surgeries are endoscopic. 

The key difference between endoscopic spine surgery and other minimally invasive spinal procedures is, of course, the endoscope. With a small camera, the endoscope delivers high-definition imaging through a very small incision, providing surgeons with excellent magnification and a clear view of the spinal structures. 

Endoscopic spine surgery is considered minimally invasive because it dramatically reduces the size of the incision required to access the spine. This may be referred to as a “keyhole” incision and, for reference, is generally less than one-quarter of an inch. This is far smaller than conventional open surgery, which requires an incision of at least three inches. Remarkably, it’s even smaller than other forms of minimally invasive spine surgery, which require an incision of at least one inch. 

Along with this smaller incision, endoscopic spine surgery facilitates less tissue trauma than conventional spinal surgery and other minimally invasive spine surgery techniques. This leads to less postoperative discomfort, faster recovery periods, less blood loss, and lower infection rates. 

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What Is the Difference Between Microdiscectomy and Endoscopic Spine Surgery?

The difference between microdiscectomy and endoscopic spine surgery is that microdiscectomy requires a larger incision and often involves removing bone tissue to access the damaged spinal disc. 

In contrast, endoscopic spine surgery typically allows the surgeon to access the damaged disc through the neuroforamen, a natural opening in the spine. So, while microdiscectomy is still considered a minimally invasive procedure, it involves more tissue damage and requires a longer recovery than endoscopic spine surgery. 

Here are a few other key differences between microdiscectomy and endoscopic spine surgery:

• In endoscopic spine surgery, the camera on the end of the endoscope grants the surgeon excellent visualization of the treatment area. 
• Endoscopic spine surgery allows the surgeon to make the incision to one side of the spine, while the incision in microdiscectomy is made directly over the targeted disc. 
• Endoscopic spine surgery may not require general anesthesia due to the limited incision. Microdiscectomy usually requires the patient to be under general anesthesia, which comes with its own risks and possible complications, like:
  • Allergic reactions to anesthesia
  • Confusion 
  • Sore throat
  • Anesthesia awareness
  • Breathing issues 
  • Malignant hyperthermia, a severe and dangerous reaction to anesthesia
• Microdiscectomy often requires the surgeon to move the back muscles to the side to access the spine. This necessitates more tissue recovery and causes more post-operative pain than endoscopic spine surgery. 

When to Do Endoscopic Spine Surgery

Endoscopic spine surgery should be done when:

• The patient has chronic back pain and neurological symptoms from a condition like herniated disc, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or osteoarthritis. 
• The patient’s symptoms haven’t improved despite several months or years of conservative treatment. Conservative treatments include physical therapy, epidural injections, and medication to control pain and discomfort. 
• The patient’s symptoms are disruptive to their daily activities and/or diminish their quality of life. 
• The patient is considered a candidate for endoscopic spine surgery. 

Since endoscopic surgery provides several benefits over conventional spine surgery and even other minimally invasive procedures, it should be utilized whenever possible for qualifying patients. 

Who Is a Candidate for Endoscopic Spine Surgery?

You may be a candidate for endoscopic spine surgery if you:

• Have a spinal condition causing chronic, progressive pain and neurological symptoms
• Haven’t resolved your symptoms with conservative treatments
• Are interested in reducing your downtime and surgical risks with the endoscopic procedure

You may not be a candidate for endoscopic spine surgery if you:

• Have a particularly complex spinal condition, like some cases of spinal cancer and scoliosis, as these may require a different surgical procedure
• Need or want to undergo spinal fusion
• Have undergone one or more spinal procedures in the past, as this can cause scar tissue in the spine that may interfere with endoscopic spine surgery
• Are a smoker, as smoking can inhibit your body’s healing process (quitting smoking before the procedure may amend this issue)
• Have certain underlying medical conditions that could present risks in the endoscopic procedure

Your physician will conduct a thorough medical exam, questionnaire, and imaging tests to determine if you’re a good candidate for endoscopic spine surgery. 

How Long Does It Take to Recover From Endoscopic Spine Surgery?

It typically takes one to four weeks to recover from endoscopic spine surgery. 

Recovery times vary somewhat from patient to patient, but most people return to work, driving, and gentle exercise around two weeks after the procedure. Additionally, a hospital stay generally isn’t needed after endoscopic spine surgery, so you can return home as soon as you feel able. Just make sure to have someone drive you home on the day of the procedure. 

During the first week after endoscopic spine surgery, you’ll need to avoid twisting and bending the spine. You also can’t lift heavy objects during this period, so plan accordingly.

You can speed up your recovery from endoscopic spine surgery by:

• Following all of your surgeon’s post-operative instructions
• Avoiding prolonged bed rest (stay mobile with gentle, low-impact movements, like short walks)
• Eating a nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory diet
• Avoiding any activities or movements that trigger pain
• Prepping your home before the procedure to facilitate rest and healing
• Prioritizing high-quality sleep

Deciding If Endoscopic Spine Surgery is Right For You

If you and your physician conclude that endoscopic back surgery may be appropriate, the decision on which procedure is best should be made only after a thorough evaluation of all aspects of your case. In some situations where bone must be removed from a vertebra as part of the surgical procedure (as in a laminectomy or spinal decompression surgery procedure), the endoscopic procedure does not provide adequate access or visualization to perform a proper decompression.

Suboptimal removal of pain generators, especially when followed by the fusion of adjacent vertebrae, can have adverse outcomes. Moreover, it is irreversible as spine fusion surgery eliminates the independent flexion and rotation of the fused vertebrae. But another advance of recent years, the TOPS System, has proven to provide a better clinical outcome than spinal fusion. An implant device, the TOPS, or Total Posterior Solution System, preserves the independent motion of the individual vertebrae.

If you suffer from back pain or other symptoms of spinal problems, don’t let outdated ideas about back surgery keep you from seeking treatment. Today a host of conservative treatments such as medication and physical therapy can often provide relief, and when surgery is called for, it can often be performed without complications.

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Medical terminology doesn’t go out of its way to be complicated or hard to understand. It’s simply that the language has to be very precise, and that much of it comes from Latin. Hence, it can be difficult to decipher some med-speak without a little help. Take the term “lumbar laminectomy,” a fairly common surgical procedure that can help alleviate the pain, mobility limitations, and other symptoms that often accompany medical conditions of the lower spine. Indeed, the word “lumbar” refers to the lower spine. The lumber portion of the spine comprises the lowest five vertebrae of the spinal column, which bear the designation L1 through L5 – “L” standing for lumbar.

Every vertebra in the spinal column is covered in a bony sheath called the lamina, which helps protect

the nerves that run through the spinal column. But sometimes, due to injury, disease, degenerative changes, or other causes, the lamina can put pressure on nerves emanating from the spinal column, a condition referred to as a pinched nerve. Problems within the vertebrae, such as an unnatural narrowing of the spinal canal, a condition called spinal stenosis, can also result in pinched nerves.

When surgery is performed to relieve pressure on a pinched spinal nerve, a procedure called spinal decompression, it requires cutting away the portion of the lamina that is impinging on a nerve or to gain access to the interior of the vertebrae to address a condition such as spinal stenosis. In medicine, the suffix “ectomy” refers to excision or removal. Thus, cutting away a portion of the lamina is a procedure called a laminectomy. So a lumbar laminectomy is an operation in which a portion of the lamina on one of the first five vertebrae is trimmed away. A lumbar laminectomy can achieve dramatic results in alleviating the symptoms of pinched nerves. Traditionally, spinal fusion back surgery was performed in concert with a laminectomy to stabilize the spine at the point of the operation. Now lumbar laminectomy patients have an alternative that provides better outcomes than spinal fusion surgery while preserving the full range of the spine’s motion: The TOPS (Total Posterior Spine) System procedure. If you’re a candidate for a lumbar laminectomy or other spinal decompression procedure, make sure you understand all your treatment options.

What is a Laminectomy 

Lumbar Laminectomy is a spinal surgery involving the removal of the vertebral bone to alleviate symptoms of spinal stenosis. Laminectomy surgery is relatively common for major surgery. Its main function is to reduce spinal pressure on the cord and nerve roots when they are being unnaturally restricted. This surgery is for those suffering from various ailments, including those sustained from past injuries, herniated disks, spinal stenosis, and tumors. While there are alternative methods to try before getting to this point, such as physical therapy, medication, and even injections, some may find this is the only path to relief.

While determining what is a laminectomy, we should deconstruct the name. Lamina is the scientific name for the vertebral bone. This surgery, Lumbar Laminectomy, is the process of removing the vertebral bone to lift pressure surrounding the spinal canal. Pressure is created by things like impacted bone injury, bone overgrowth, or growing tumors. A decompressive laminectomy increases available space and therefore alleviates any pain sufferers may be experiencing. While the surgery itself is great, so are the results. 

What is a Laminectomy? 

Lumbar laminectomy is a spinal surgery involving the removal of vertebral bone, called the lamina, to alleviate symptoms of spinal stenosis.

The lamina is a piece of bone that covers the back of the spinal canal. It protects the spinal cord and supports the canal as a whole. In removing some of all of it during a laminectomy, your surgeon can decompress impinged spinal nerves, offering relief from conditions like spinal stenosis.

Laminectomy surgery is a relatively common spinal decompression procedure. Its main function is to reduce spinal pressure on the cord and nerve roots when they’re impinged, compressed, or inflamed. This procedure is implemented for those suffering from various ailments, including those sustained from past injuries, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and spinal tumors.

It’s worth noting that several non-invasive, alternative methods exist and are typically recommended before laminectomy. These include lifestyle changes, physical therapy, medication, and even steroid injections. However, after trying these remedies for several months to no avail, some may find that surgical laminectomy is the only path to relief.

When answering the question “what is a laminectomy?”, we should deconstruct the name. Lamina is the scientific name for the vertebral bone that covers the back of the spinal canal. This surgery, lumbar laminectomy, is the process of removing this vertebral bone to alleviate pressure within the spinal canal.

Pressure may be created by various factors, including an impacted bone injury, bone overgrowth, age-related spinal degeneration, or growing tumors. A decompressive laminectomy increases available space within the canal, therefore alleviating pain and neurological symptoms that you may be experiencing. While the surgery itself is well-documented and considered safe, the results are equally as compelling. 

According to a 2022 study, patients who underwent laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis experienced less disability and pain after the procedure. These patients were also able to be more physically active after laminectomy. The rate of reoperation in this study was 14%. 

Laminectomy and other spinal decompression procedures are conventionally performed with spinal fusion to restabilize the spine. However, modern innovations like the TOPS System can improve outcomes from spinal decompression by stabilizing the spine without permanently fusing the vertebrae. These remarkable advancements are available to today’s laminectomy patients, boosting treatment safety, satisfaction, and results. 

What is Spinal Stenosis

If you are considering spinal laminectomy you may likely be suffering from spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is one of the most common spinal ailments. Since stenosis means narrowing or restricting, this condition refers to the unnatural narrowing of the spinal canal. This condition often develops for unknown reasons but can be caused by an overgrowth of either bone or tissue. Some cases may be hereditary, while others arise from an unhealthy lifestyle. 

Options Before Surgery

Everyone can benefit from a healthy lifestyle, including those suffering from spinal stenosis or other spine stemming pain. Simple solutions like a healthy diet, regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy BMI can all reduce pain and symptoms. While these are idealistic options, they also are not the solution for everyone. It is possible that someone’s back pain is so great they are limited in the forms of exercise they can partake in.

Physical therapy is another noninvasive option that patients can try before getting a lumbar laminectomy surgery. Because most patients suffer from pain in their back and legs, it can be helpful to have a physical therapist to assist in teaching the body how to move through these debilitating pains in a way that can offer some relief. Physical therapy assigned exercises to have the ability to release pressure similar to surgery, though the effects are often not as long-lasting. 

Medication is also available to those suffering from inescapable pain. Some medications offered can help with both pain and inflammation so that those suffering from spinal stenosis are able to manage their symptoms throughout their day.

While these solutions can help manage and relieve pain, ultimately, they do not offer more stability to a destabilized spine, nor do they permanently create space in the spine where the pressure afflicts. In cases of long-term relief, most find that surgery is necessary to moving forward into a pain-free life.

Laminectomy Surgery

In deciding if surgery is right for you, it helps to know exactly what is to be expected during the procedure. A doctor uses general anesthesia to put the patient under for the duration of the surgery. In the process of the surgery, the surgeon makes a small cut into the back, right over the affected area. They then enter through this cut with small tools to lift the muscle away from the spinal column. The lamina is then removed to create space in the narrowed spinal canal.  In the case of a herniated disk, the doctor can then remove the parts of the disk that have herniated. 

Traditionally after this, the vertebrae would be fused to create stability in the spine to supplement the removed lamina. This is done with either bone graphs, screws, or metal rods. While efficient in rendering the spine functional post-operation, it does create limited mobility that can impede some physical activities.

How to Prepare for Laminectomy Surgery

Laminectomy Surgery is major surgery. Many are intimidated by spinal surgery because it is such a crucial part of our body and people often have a fear of how their life changes after. Here is how to prepare for optimal recovery.

• Consider your new mobility while you recover. With a limited range of motion, you should consider buying a pair of slip-on shoes to avoid bending down and straining.
• Ensure frequently used items are in easy-to-access spots. This may look like lowering things from high shelves as well as heightening objects that previously required bending over to reach them. Remember, this is temporary.  Once healed you should be able to reach all these things again without any pain or discomfort. 
• Do some meal prepping. The less work you have to do while recovering the quicker you heal. This also means you can rely less on others and be more self-sufficient in a time when you may feel dependent on others.
• Finally, on the day of the surgery, make sure you fast before going in. Like most surgeries that require general anesthesia, you are advised to stop eating and drinking by midnight the night before. Some water is allowed the morning of the surgery, but a full stomach can pose complications once you are under.

Laminectomy Recovery

Once you wake from the surgery your care team checks to ensure everything has gone smoothly and your body has responded well to the spinal laminectomy surgery. While a short hospital stay is typical, some people are released the same day. This means that no matter the case, the comforts of home are not too far away.

Upon returning home, rest! Though it is healing in the long run, your body has just sustained a major injury and needs time and care to recover. Give yourself grace and let people help with things like meals and keeping the house running. Letting yourself rest at this time is crucial for long-term recovery.

It is recommended that you do not work for the first few weeks following a decompressive laminectomy. Those with less physically demanding jobs return to work sooner than those with more labor-intensive jobs. If you have a spinal fusion laminectomy recovery takes longer.

How to Make Spinal Surgery Less Traumatic

The results of lumbar laminectomy, while impressive, may take a while to work. There are records of patients taking up to a full year to complete their laminectomy recovery. Those who do go through with the surgery are also sometimes recommended physical therapy as a part of their recovery process.  This leads to a long and involved path back to normalcy.

If you are looking for a way to make your laminectomy surgery and recovery less traumatic, consider a spinal implant. TOPS system uses an implant after decompression is completed to prevent the necessity for spinal fusion. Where traditionally vertebrae are fused after laminectomy surgery, TOPS implants hold the space where the vertebrae were removed, combining the relief of the surgery with all the mobility and freedom you had before. 

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Patients who have had a TOPS System implant report faster and easier laminectomy recoveries than those who received traditional spinal fusions. Because the spine is the foundation of the human body it is important you take the path offering the greatest recovery and mobility post-surgery. Does this look like a spine that has been fused together, or upgraded with an implant?

Life After Laminectomy

While it is a big decision to make, ultimately it comes down to regaining your life. Those who have spinal laminectomy are choosing a life free of debilitating pain and getting back the body they once knew. Lumbar laminectomy patients are often happier and healthier, having chosen the care right for them.

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Especially in people over the age of 50, spinal stenosis is a prominent cause of chronic back pain and neurological symptoms. When this condition isn’t improved with several months of non-invasive treatment, your doctor may recommend spine surgery. 

Patients who are concerned about the complications associated with traditional spine procedures may be interested in minimally-invasive spinal surgery. Also called MIS, minimally-invasive surgery can reduce your risk of complications, shorten your recovery, and cause less pain after the procedure. 

With the benefits of MIS in mind, can spinal stenosis surgery be minimally-invasive? Here, we’ll discuss this question and discover spinal fusion alternatives for spinal stenosis patients. 

What is Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is a common condition that develops when the spaces in the spinal canal become narrower. With less space in the spinal canal, the nerve roots and spinal cord may become compressed. This can result in a variety of symptoms, including:

• Back pain and stiffness
• Sciatica, which is nerve pain that extends from the lower back to the buttocks and down the legs
• Cramping and/or numbness in the legs
• Lost sensation and/or a sensation of weakness in the feet
• In severe cases, lost bladder or bowel control

What Causes Spinal Stenosis?

Most often, spinal stenosis is triggered by osteoarthritis-related spinal degeneration. Osteoarthritis is a condition that occurs when the cartilage that cushions the joints (including the joints in the spine) breaks down over time. This results in pain, stiffness, and inflammation. 

Other spinal conditions including herniated discs, spinal fractures, and bone spurs can also lead to spinal stenosis. Less commonly, patients are born with a narrow spinal canal or scoliosis (an irregular curve of the spine), leading to congenital spinal stenosis

Surgery For Spinal Stenosis

Surgery for spinal stenosis typically entails spinal decompression. The goal of spinal decompression surgery is to alleviate pressure on the spinal cord and/or spinal nerves to relieve back pain, stiffness, and neurological symptoms. 

There are multiple possible approaches to decompressive spinal stenosis surgery. These include:

• Laminectomy

Laminectomy is the most frequently performed procedure for spinal stenosis. It involves removing some or all of the lamina, which covers the back of the vertebra. By getting rid of some or all of the bony arch at the back of the affected vertebra, your surgeon creates more room in the spinal canal. 

• Laminotomy

Laminotomy is similar to laminectomy. However, while laminectomy involves the total removal of the lamina, laminotomy involves only partial removal of the lamina. Laminectomy and laminotomy are both performed to alleviate nerve compression. 

To determine which procedure you need, your surgeon will consider the specifics of your case. However, both types of spine surgery are conventionally performed with a posterior method. 

• Foraminotomy 

Foraminotomy is another type of spine procedure. It’s done to expand the path where the spinal nerve roots leave the spinal canal. The name of this procedure is taken from the word “foramen”, which is defined as a passage in medical terminology. The end of the word, “otomy”, is a term meaning “to open”. 

While performing a foraminotomy, your surgeon will cut out any bone and soft tissue that’s blocking the passageway. By removing these tissues, your surgeon will effectively relieve pressure on the spinal nerve roots. 

• Facetectomy

The facet joints are small joints that connect the vertebrae from the back of the spine. Each vertebra has two facet joints. 

In facetectomy, the surgeon fully or partially removes the facet joints of the affected vertebrae. The goal of this procedure is to assuage nerve compression on the nerve roots that run near the facet joints of the lower spine. 

• Discectomy

Patients who experience spinal stenosis caused by a herniated (bulging) disc may need a discectomy. In this spinal procedure, the surgeon removes damaged disc tissue to eliminate strain on the spinal nerves. 

In a discectomy, your surgeon will aim to leave as much of the intervertebral disc untouched as possible. 

The Benefits of Minimally-Invasive Spinal Treatment

Minimally invasive spinal stenosis surgery presents several benefits over conventional spinal surgery. These include:

Less Postoperative Pain

During surgery, the body goes through a degree of trauma. But, minimally-invasive spine surgery limits or entirely avoids cutting through the muscles.

By reducing the trauma to your muscles and soft tissues, MIS leads to less pain after spinal procedures. This can also lessen the need for pain medication after surgery. 

Less Time in The Hospital

After undergoing spinal surgery, patients are eager to return home as fast as possible. After all, you’re bound to feel more comfortable in your own home than in a hospital bed. So, one of the most attractive benefits of minimally-invasive surgery is that it can reduce the length of your hospital stay. 

Faster Recovery

After struggling with chronic back pain, a lengthy recovery period from spine surgery can be daunting. Additionally, a lengthy recovery period can require patients to take time away from work and their favorite activities.  

Local Anesthesia

Many minimally-invasive procedures can be done with local anesthesia, rather than general anesthesia. This makes MIS safer, as the risk of severe complications is much lower with local anesthesia when compared to general anesthesia. 

Less Scarring

Though arguably a less crucial benefit than reduced pain and a faster recovery, less scarring is a perk of minimally-invasive surgery. Due to a smaller incision, MIS limits scarring after surgery. 

Lower Risk of Complications

Medical complications are a major concern among surgery patients. Minimally-invasive surgery can limit the risk of medical complications, including the risk of infection and an adverse reaction to general anesthesia. Additionally, MIS avoids excess blood loss and the problems that it can cause. 

Minimally-Invasive Spinal Stenosis Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is available for spinal stenosis. Methods that can be used to achieve minimally invasive spine surgery include:

• Using small incisions to limit bleeding and scarring
• Using specialized instruments and/or a microscopic camera to guide the surgeon
• Moving the muscles away from the spine with a tubular retractor
• Accessing the spine from the patient’s side, rather than the back, to avoid the large back muscles
• Using a percutaneous placement of rods, screws, and other spinal implants for implant placement without disturbing the spinal muscle
  • A percutaneous placement involves using x-ray imaging to position guidewires into the vertebrae on the same path as the screws will take. The screws can then take the route of the guidewires and help guide the rod placement. The rods can be connected to the screws and the screws can be secured into place using screw extenders that reach outside of the skin.  

Spinal Fusion and Minimally-Invasive Spinal Stenosis Surgery 

Spinal fusion is commonly performed for spinal stenosis surgery. By fusing two or more of the injured vertebrae together, fusion provides stability and pain relief. However, spinal fusion isn’t conventionally a minimally-invasive procedure. 

The Downsides of Spinal Fusion Surgery

Along with the risks of a non-MIS procedure, traditional fusion also presents risks of its own. For one, fusion significantly lengthens the amount of time that the patient must remain in the hospital after spine surgery. Additionally, the complete recovery period after spinal fusion can last as long as a year. 

One of the most prominent downsides of spinal fusion is the fact that it can limit patients’ mobility. In the area of the fused vertebrae, patients often lose the ability to bend, rotate, and flex the back. This can prevent patients from taking part in their favorite activities after fusion surgery.

Thankfully, minimally-invasive spinal fusion surgery is possible with the help of innovative spinal implant systems. 

Spinal Implants For Minimally-Invasive Spinal Stenosis Surgery

Some implant systems can facilitate minimally-invasive spinal stenosis surgery and serve as spinal fusion alternatives. By stabilizing the spine without preventing motion, an implant can help resolve spinal stenosis without the need for fusion. 

The TOPS spinal implant is one of the available alternatives to spinal fusion that can allow for a minimally-invasive procedure. It’s a mechanical device that replaces the tissues removed in spinal decompression surgery. The implant works by instituting a controlled range of motion in the spine.  

Minimally-Invasive Spinal Fusion Surgery Recovery Time

The minimally-invasive spinal stenosis surgery recovery time is much shorter than that of conventional spine surgery. With the TOPS System, patients can regain a complete range of motion immediately after the procedure. Additionally, in comparison to fusion, TOPS patients are subject to far fewer restrictions during the recovery period. 

Non-Surgical Alternatives to Spinal Stenosis Surgery

Patients looking to entirely avoid spinal surgery may achieve symptom improvement from ongoing non-surgical treatment. Treatment options include:

• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Massage therapy
• Acupuncture
• Anti-inflammatory medication
• Epidural steroid injections
• Lifestyle and activity modifications

Your doctor can advise you on the best approach for surgical or non-surgical treatment to resolve symptoms of spinal stenosis, including proven and less invasive solutions like the TOPS spinal implant. 

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Many different disorders fall under the umbrella of degenerative joint disease. If these disorders don’t respond to conservative treatments, surgery may be required for symptom relief. 

Let’s discuss the degenerative joint disorders that may require surgery, as well as available treatment options. 

Which Degenerative Joint Disorders May Require Surgery?

Degenerative joint disorders can gradually progress, become severe, and fail to respond to non-surgical treatment options.

Examples of degenerative joint disorders with the potential to require surgery include: 

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis can severely diminish various joints in the body, including the knees, hips, and fingers, as well as the facet joints in the spine. If the condition becomes severe, it can cause chronic, debilitating pain and a loss of function of the affected joint. 

If non-surgical treatment options don’t resolve joint pain from osteoarthritis, the joint may need to be surgically removed and replaced with an artificial joint. 

Spondylosis

Spondylosis is a term that refers to spinal degeneration. It occurs when the spinal bones, called vertebrae, wear down and change with age. Oftentimes, spondylosis is called osteoarthritis of the spine or degenerative disc disease. 

Oftentimes, spondylosis can be effectively treated without surgery. Physical therapy, pain medications, chiropractic care, rest, and spinal injections have a high rate of success in spondylosis patients. 

However, if this degenerative condition doesn’t respond to non-surgical treatments and causes severe symptoms such as spinal instability and weakness, tingling, or numbness in the extremities, surgery may be required. 

Surgery For Spondylosis

Examples of surgical procedures that may be done for spondylosis include:

• Laminectomy, which involves removing some of all of the lamina, the bony layer of the vertebra that encloses the spinal canal
• Facetectomy, which involves removing one of the spine’s facet joints. Facet joints connect the vertebrae to allow for spinal motion and stability. 
• Laminotomy, which involves creating a larger opening in the spinal canal by removing some of the lamina
• Foraminotomy, which also involves creating a larger opening in the spinal canal, but by enlarging the space around the intervertebral foramen

These procedures are all forms of spinal decompression surgery, which we’ll discuss in greater detail below. 

Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a condition that occurs when the space inside of the spinal canal narrows. It most often occurs as a result of spinal degeneration from the aging process. 

As the spinal canal becomes narrower with spinal stenosis, it can irritate and compress the spinal nerves. This may lead to back pain, along with numbness, tingling, and weakness in the extremities.  

Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis is a condition that occurs as a result of spinal instability. With this condition, one of the vertebrae slips out of place and settles on the vertebra beneath it. Spinal disc degeneration is a common cause of spondylolisthesis in older adults. 

When one of the vertebrae are out of alignment with spondylolisthesis, it can lead to back pain, stiffness, trouble walking and/or standing, and muscle spasms, along with numbness, tingling, and weakness in the foot. 

Spine Surgery For Degenerative Joint Disorders

Spine surgery for degenerative joint disorders may involve the following procedures:

Facet Joint Replacement

Facet joint replacement is a type of spine surgery that involves replacing a degenerated facet joint with a spinal implant, like the Premia Spine TOPS System. In this procedure, the surgeon will remove the affected facet joint and secure the implant in its place to stabilize the spine while relieving pain from spinal degeneration.  

Spinal Decompression

Spine surgery for spinal degeneration usually involves spinal decompression and fusion. Decompression surgery involves removing the spinal tissue that’s causing the patient’s symptoms, typically because it’s pressing on nearby spinal nerves.  

What’s Involved in Spinal Decompression?

During spinal decompression, the patient is first put under general anesthesia. Next, the surgeon creates an incision (often in the abdomen). The organs and other tissues then must be moved aside to create access to the spine. 

Once the surgeon has achieved access to the spine, he or she will remove the spinal tissues that are causing nerve compression. The type and amount of tissue that’s removed during spinal decompression can vary from patient to patient. 

With the spinal tissue removed, the surgeon typically then performs spinal fusion (or, as an alternative, places a spinal implant) to stabilize the spine. 

Spinal Fusion

After decompression is complete, spinal fusion is often performed to stabilize the spine. This procedure involves positioning bone graft material in between the affected vertebrae. The bone graft stimulates the fusion of the vertebrae in the months after the procedure. 

Downsides of Spinal Fusion

• Reduced spinal mobility

Spinal fusion prevents spinal instability. However, it also inhibits the motion of the spine. Patients largely lose the ability to twist, bend, and flex the spine after spinal fusion. 

Reduced spinal mobility can limit the patient’s activities and everyday movements after the spinal fusion. For example, after multi-level fusion, some patients find bending over harder and use tools to pick up items off the ground. 

• Prolonged recovery process

Since fusion involves operating directly on spinal bone tissue, it also prolongs the recovery process for degenerative joint disease surgery. Patients require more downtime after spinal fusion, and the recovery process tends to be more painful than non-fusion procedures. 

• Risk of adjacent segment degeneration

Adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) can occur in patients who undergo spinal fusion. It’s a condition that occurs when the spinal bones around the fused vertebrae are placed under added stress. As a result, these portions of the spine degenerate more rapidly. 

Fusion Alternatives For Degenerative Joint Disease Treatment

Spinal implants like the TOPS System are alternatives to spinal fusion in surgery for degenerative joint disorders. In facet joint replacement and spinal decompression, an implant can stabilize the spine without compromising the patient’s mobility. 

The TOPS spinal implant moves with the spine, allowing the patient to twist and bend quickly after the procedure. As a result, patients experience relief from symptoms of spinal degeneration without compromising the normal motion of the spine. 

For more information about the TOPS System in degenerative joint disease treatment, contact Premia Spine today.  

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• Understanding Spinal Stenosis
• What Causes Spinal Stenosis?
• Spinal Stenosis Symptoms
• Severe Spinal Stenosis Symptoms
• Spinal Stenosis and Walking Problems
• What is Considered Severe Spinal Stenosis?
• Can Spinal Stenosis Be Treated At Home?
• What Is The Best Treatment For Spinal Stenosis?
• What Is The Latest Treatment For Spinal Stenosis?

“What is spinal stenosis?” is one of the most frequently asked questions in any spinal specialist’s office. Given that up to 95% of people develop degenerative spinal changes by age 50, it’s no surprise that spinal stenosis is a prevalent medical concern today. 

Although spinal stenosis is a common back problem, many affected patients have never heard of it at the time of their diagnosis. With this in mind, we’ll provide a detailed explanation of spinal stenosis below, including the causes, symptoms, and treatments available for this prevalent condition. 

Understanding Spinal Stenosis

“Stenosis” means “narrowing,” and spinal stenosis signifies an unnatural narrowing of the spinal canal. The spinal canal is the space at the center of the vertebrae that houses the spinal nerves. 

This restriction of the spinal canal places pressure on the spinal nerves. It can also impact nerves that emanate from the affected vertebrae to other parts of the body. The area that’s the most commonly affected by stenosis is the lower, or lumbar, region of the spine. 

What Causes Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Chronic inflammatory, arthritic, and spinal conditions conditions

Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, and herniated disc are among the medical conditions that may lead to spinal stenosis.  

• The normal aging process

The spine naturally changes with age. For one, the intervertebral discs dry out, become thinner, and may begin to bulge. An injured intervertebral disc takes up additional space in the spinal canal, potentially leading to spinal stenosis. 

Additionally, the aging process can cause the ligaments and/or bone in the spine to thicken or expand. When this occurs, the open space in the spinal canal becomes more limited.

Spinal stenosis is most often seen in adults above the age of 40 years, and women are affected by spinal stenosis more frequently than men.

• Heredity factors

Clinical studies have confirmed that lumbar spinal stenosis is highly genetic. This is despite the fact that spinal degeneration is widely considered to be the key contributing factor to the development of stenosis. In a 2014 study, lumbar spinal stenosis cases yielded heritability estimates of 66.9%. 

Spinal Stenosis Symptoms

Symptoms of spinal stenosis can include intense back and leg pain, as well as numbness or cramping in various regions of the body. In spinal stenosis patients, loss of sensation can be extreme. 

Severe Spinal Stenosis Symptoms

Lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms in severe cases may include difficulty controlling urine or bowel movements and difficulty balancing while walking. While these symptoms can sound alarming, especially if you were just diagnosed with spinal stenosis, they only occur in a small portion of spinal stenosis patients.

To illustrate this fact, let’s consider a survey conducted in 564 U.S. hospitals and general practice clinics. Out of 3,647 patients diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis in this survey, only 135 patients experienced bowel and bladder dysfunction. 

Bowel and bladder dysfunction mainly occur in spinal stenosis patients with cauda equina lesions. The cauda equina is the collection of nerve roots located in the lower spinal cord. It facilitates movement and sensation in the legs and bladder. 

Spinal stenosis can trigger cauda equina syndrome, which requires immediate diagnosis and treatment to prevent severe neurological complications. 

Spinal Stenosis and Walking Problems

As we mentioned above, severe spinal stenosis can lead to walking and balance problems. However, even in its earlier stages, spinal stenosis can cause difficulty walking for extended distances.

Walking problems with lumbar spinal stenosis may include:

• Cramping, tingling, and/or numbness in the legs while walking
• Pressure in the lower back while standing upright
• Muscle weakness in the legs
• Pain in the buttocks, legs, and/or back while walking
• A foot that slaps the ground when you take a step due to weakness

Leaning forward alleviates pressure on the spinal nerves. So, spinal stenosis patients experiencing walking problems often experience relief when they sit down, crouch, lean forward, or even push a grocery cart.

If you’ve been diagnosed with spinal stenosis and are experiencing severe pain and weakness while standing or walking, reach out to your doctor immediately. You may be experiencing cauda equina syndrome.   

What is Considered Severe Spinal Stenosis?

Patients may have what’s considered a severe case of lumbar spinal stenosis if they experience a loss of physical function or are disabled as a result of the stenosis. Additionally, physicians may classify a case of spinal stenosis as severe if the patient doesn’t respond to several months of non-surgical treatment. 

Severe spinal stenosis typically requires surgery for symptom relief. After spinal stenosis surgery, patients generally experience restored function and improved quality of life. 

Can Spinal Stenosis Be Treated At Home?

Patients experiencing symptoms of spinal stenosis need to receive a medical evaluation and diagnosis. This ensures that any troubling symptoms are promptly addressed before causing lasting complications.

With that said, after receiving a diagnosis, many patients with early spinal stenosis can manage their symptoms with at-home care. Paired with physical therapy and physician-recommended lifestyle changes, at-home treatment can significantly improve spinal stenosis symptoms. 

Along with heat/cold therapy, exercises for spinal stenosis are among the most widely-recommended at-home treatment for this condition. Spinal stenosis exercises can be done at home to strengthen the spine’s stabilizing muscles and improve range of motion. Your physical therapist may give you a specific exercise regimen to complete at home based on your personal needs. 

What Is The Best Treatment For Spinal Stenosis?

Many treatments for spinal stenosis are available, including medications, physical therapy, and, as we mentioned above, exercises for stretching the spine. 

Physical therapy is often highly successful in treating spinal stenosis. Your physical therapist may implement a combination of therapies including massage, stabilization methods, heat/cold therapy, exercises, and acupuncture to help you overcome your symptoms. 

Spinal Stenosis Surgery

For patients with moderate to severe spinal stenosis who don’t respond to conservative spinal stenosis therapy, spinal decompression surgery may be an option.

In spinal decompression surgery, the back surgeon reestablishes the proper diameter of the spinal canal at the affected area. To accomplish this, the surgeon will remove bony elements that have grown towards the spinal canal and are impinging on the nerves.

There are a few different spinal decompression procedures. The most common of these procedures for spinal stenosis is laminectomy, which involves removing some or all of the lamina. The lamina is the section of bone that covers the back of the spinal canal.

Am I a Candidate For Spinal Decompression?

You may not be a candidate for spinal decompression surgery as a treatment for spinal stenosis if:

• You’re currently pregnant
• You have already had spinal fusion
• You have vertebral fractures
• You’re experiencing pain from a previous failed spinal surgery
• You’ve already had an artificial disc or spinal implant placed
• You’ve already undergone more than one spinal surgery and haven’t recovered properly 

Spinal Fusion

Typically, spinal fusion back surgery is performed in conjunction with the decompression procedure. Spinal fusion involves turning two or more adjacent vertebrae into one bone. This is done by placing bone graft material in between the vertebrae, then securing them with screws and rigid rods.

Fusion restores stability but eliminates the natural mobility between the vertebrae. Fusion is permanent and removes motion at the fused level, while the rest of the spine keeps moving.

The Risk of Reoperation After Spinal Fusion

Clinical research has shown that spinal fusion has a higher reoperation rate than spinal decompression alone. With this in mind, patients must carefully consider the risk of reoperation before undergoing decompression with fusion. 

One reason why spinal fusion may lead to reoperation is the risk of adjacent segment disease. This complication of spinal fusion occurs when the vertebrae above and below the fused segment undergo added pressure. This leads to a faster rate of degeneration in these vertebrae. 

Patients with adjacent segment disease may start to experience back pain, reduced range of motion, and neurological symptoms. These uncomfortable and potentially debilitating symptoms can create the need for corrective spinal surgery. 

What Is The Latest Treatment For Spinal Stenosis?

Many modern spinal stenosis patients are concerned over the risks of decompression surgery with spinal fusion. This has led to an increased interest in alternative treatments that alleviate spinal stenosis symptoms without the risks associated with fusion. 

Patients who haven’t responded to conservative treatments can now consider non-fusion spinal implants as a spinal stenosis treatment option. These implants are designed to alleviate nerve compression while stabilizing the spine. As a result, patients can experience relief from spinal stenosis without reduced mobility from fusion. 

The TOPS System For Spinal Stenosis

Today, a new implantable device allows the surgeon to decompress and stabilize the spine while preserving the spine’s range of motion: the TOPS System, developed here at Premia Spine.

How Does TOPS Work For Spinal Stenosis?

The TOPS System works for spinal stenosis by replacing the tissues removed during spinal decompression. The implant is designed to be placed at a single level between L2 and L5 in the lower spine. These segments are the most commonly affected by spinal stenosis. 

Once positioned, the TOPS System allows movement in all directions. It simultaneously blocks sheer forces on the lower spine, which helps prevent injury after spinal stenosis surgery. 

TOPS System Results

Clinical studies show the TOPS System provides better outcomes than spinal fusion. In a seven-year study for TOPS in the management of lumbar spinal stenosis, the device maintained clinical improvement and radiologic stability, preserved spinal motion, and prevented degeneration. 

Physician and patient testimonials demonstrate that the TOPS System provides excellent outcomes for spinal stenosis patients and allows patients to retain mobility at the operative segment. Additionally, patients experience symptom relief long after the TOPS System procedure. 

We encourage patients with persistent back pain to consult with a spinal specialist and learn more about all of the available treatment options.

“What is spinal stenosis?” is one of the most frequently asked questions in any spinal physician’s office. Spinal stenosis is a common back problem, but many affected patients have never heard of it before they are given the diagnosis. Symptoms of spinal stenosis can include intense pain inside the back of the legs and numbing or cramping in various regions of the body. The loss of sensation that spinal stenosis patients experience can be extreme.

Here at Premia Spine we focus on advanced surgical treatments for spinal stenosis and related spinal disorders, including bone spurs, or facet arthrosis, and spondylolisthesis (a vertebra slipping forward over the one below). We’re excited to share information about these conditions – conditions that affect up to 70 percent of all people at some point in their lives – through our blog. An explanation of spinal stenosis is a good place to start.

“Stenosis” means “narrowing,” and spinal stenosis signifies an unnatural narrowing of the spinal canal, the space at the center of the vertebrae that houses the spinal nerves. This narrowing puts pressure on the nerves, and on nerves that emanate from the affected vertebrae to other parts of the body. The most commonly affected area is the lower, or lumbar, region of the spine. The neck, or cervical region of the spine, can also exhibit a narrowing; these conditions are called lumbar spinal stenosis and cervical spinal stenosis respectively.

Spinal stenosis can be caused by a variety of factors, including heredity, chronic inflammatory and arthritic conditions, and the normal aging process. In fact, it is most often seen in adults above the ages of 45 years; women are affected by spinal stenosis more frequently than men. The severity is related to the extent of the narrowing and of any attendant spinal problems, such as bone spurs, slipped discs, pinched nerves, spondylolisthesis, or sciatica. A neurosurgeon, orthopedic surgeon or any physician specializing in spinal disorders can diagnose spinal stenosis based on radiographs and X-rays.

Many treatments for spinal stenosis are available, including medications and physical therapy, including exercises for stretching the spine. For patients with moderate to severe spinal stenosis who do not respond to conservative spinal stenosis therapy, spinal decompression surgery may be an option. In spinal decompression procedures, the back surgeon reestablishes the proper diameter of the spinal canal at the affected area by removing bony elements that have grown towards the spinal canal and are impinging on the nerves. Typically, spinal fusion back surgery is performed in conjunction with the decompression procedure. Spinal fusion involves connecting two or more adjacent vertebrae with screws and rigid rods. Fusion restores stability but eliminates the natural mobility between the vertebrae.

Today a new implantable device allows the surgeon to decompress and stabilize the spine while preserving the spine’s range of motion: the TOPS System, developed here at Premia Spine. Clinical studies show the TOPS System provides better outcomes than spinal fusion. We encourage patients to consult with a physician who specializes in spinal medicine and to educate themselves about treatment options.

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X-stop

X-Stop is a minimally invasive spinal surgery procedure that may be performed to treat cases of lumbar spinal stenosis that don’t respond to more conservative treatments, such as physical therapy and medication. X-Stop is also the name of the titanium implant used in the procedure, a device in a category termed “Interspinous Process Decompression Systems.” This lumbar spinal surgery procedure was approved as safe and effective by the FDA in 2005.

Lumbar spinal stenosis is an unnatural narrowing of the spinal column in the lower, or lumbar portion of the spine. The constricted spinal canal that characterizes spinal stenosis puts pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves emanating from it at the affected vertebrae, which can cause pain and restrict mobility. In the X-Stop procedure, the titanium implant is inserted into the spine through a small incision made between two spinal “processes” of the vertebra affected by stenosis. Spinous processes are the protrusions of the individual vertebra visible along the back. The X-Stop device distracts two vertebral segments and relieves the pressure on the nerve roots caused by the stenosis, which in turn often relieves leg and back pain. The X-Stop, a recent advance in spinal stenosis surgery, is not an alternative to spinal fusion back surgery, a procedure that eliminates the natural flexion and rotation of the fused vertebrae. The X-Stop is ideal for patients with very mild spinal stenosis. For more advanced disease, the X-Stop is not applicable because the implant cannot be used when decompression surgery is necessary to remove the bony elements pressing on nerve roots. In such situations, where decompression surgery is performed in conjunction with spine stabilization, the TOPS System may be a more relevant solution for maintaining the spine’s native motion.

As developers of treatments for advanced spinal stenosis and associated conditions, we at Premia Spinerecommend that patients learn about all their treatment options. If you have a back condition that’s causing pain or is affecting your mobility, be certain to learn about all the choices available to you.

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Interspinous Process Fusion

As we noted in our last blog, X-Stop, an implant deployed in the surgical treatment of mild spinal stenosis, was approved by the FDA in 2005 as a safe and effective treatment for symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis. This procedure illustrates the advances that make spinal medicine such an exciting field. Today, there are devices similar to the X-Stop in design but that do allow motion at the operative segment. These devices are used to create a spinal fusion between the adjacent vertebral segments. This procedure is more commonly referred to as an interspinous process fusion. As with the X-Stop, a device is inserted in a small incision made between adjacent spinous processes, which are the bony protrusions of the vertebrae that can be seen and felt along the back of the spine. Interspinous process fusion is another form of spinal fusion back surgery that eliminates the natural flexion and rotational ability of the individual vertebrae.

Interspinous process fusion is typically performed in about one hour, either under general anesthesia or using intravenous sedation with local anesthesia, and can be performed as an outpatient procedure. The procedure is relevant for patients who have mild spinal stenosis and require only a minimal removal of bone and soft tissue to achieve pain relief. This represents an advance in spinal care, but any spinal surgery has the risk of complications, and not every technique is right for every patient. Before considering surgical intervention including interspinous process fusion, patients should try more conservative treatments such as exercises, physical therapy, epidural injections, and pain medications. When surgery is recommended, interspinous process fusion is most appropriate for people over 50 years of age with mild spinal stenosis confined to one or two levels of the spine, and who experience relief from symptoms when bending forward at the waist or when sitting. With more advanced spinal stenosis disease, patients should consider the option of avoiding fusion surgery and opting for a solution, such as TOPS Posterior Arthroplasty, that preserves motion of the spine at the operative level while stabilizing the segment after decompression surgery. Here at Premia Spine, developers of advanced surgical treatments for spinal stenosis and related spinal problems, we think it’s important for anyone suffering from ongoing back pain or restricted mobility to know all their treatment options.

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