Degenerative Disc Disease Surgery

Degenerative disc disease surgery can be a viable treatment option for those who have found little or no relief from the more conservative treatment methods. If this sounds like your case, talk to your doctor, and see if you may be a candidate for surgery. Don't stop with just your doctor, though. Receive multiple medical opinions, and consult with friends and family before concluding whether surgery is right for you or not. Also, weigh the pros and cons of the different types of surgery, such as open spine surgery and endoscopic surgery.will receive the same treatment, though. Upon your diagnosis, your doctor will formulate a tailored treatment plan for you.

Open Spine Surgery

Open spine surgery for degenerative disc disease is typically what people think of when neck or back surgery comes to mind. Before these types of surgeries, patients are sedated using general anesthesia. A large incision is cut into the body to access the spinal column, and muscle tissue may be cut to help expose the spine. Depending on the severity and nature of the condition, one of a few different surgical techniques may be incorporated to excise problematic disc and bone material, and in most cases, vertebrae are permanently fused together using rods, screws, and bone grafts. This type of surgery is accompanied by a lengthy hospital stay and an extensive and demanding rehabilitative process.

Minimally Invasive Procedures

Increasingly popular alternatives to open surgeries are what are known as endoscopic surgical procedures. Unlike open spine surgery for degenerative disc disease, endoscopic procedures do not require general anesthesia, an overnight hospital stay, large and deep incisions, or a laborious recuperation period. Instead, local anesthesia and deep IV sedation are used. Small incisions (usually less than an inch in length) are made into the body and small tubes are placed into the incisions. These tubes allow a tiny camera to be inserted into the body. These cameras provide a firsthand look of spinal anatomy for surgeons in the operating room, and help to specifically identify herniated disc material and other tissue that might be causing nerve compression. Lasers and other small surgical tools are also inserted through the tubes and into the body for the use of disc and bone excision or the deadening of nerve endings. Following the procedure, patients are free to go home after a few hours, and usually only require a post-operative appointment the following day and light physical therapy.