Minimally invasive spine surgery: new methods and technologies of surgery

Minimally invasive surgeries involve minimal interventions on the body that often do not require incisions, but only a puncture, and they are also very effective.

The advantages of minimally invasive surgery are: 

• high level of safety;

• minimal blood loss;

• early discharge from hospital - some minimally invasive procedures do not require hospitalization and are performed on an outpatient basis within a day;

• high efficiency - thanks to the use of modern equipment can remove all the necessary volume of tissue. And if necessary, replace non-recoverable intervertebral discs with stabilizing structures;

• easy and quick recovery - after minimally invasive surgery patients do not need a long and complex rehabilitation program.

Minimally invasive spinal hernia surgeries include: nucleoplasty, endoscopic surgeries, and microdiscectomy.

When minimally invasive spine surgery is necessary:

• fixing the spine, indications include degenerative changes in the structure of the intervertebral discs.

• correction of spinal deformities;

• microsurgical removal of herniated intervertebral discs;

• the need for spinal cord decompression in spinal tumors;

• correction and stabilization of vertebral compression fractures.

How is the surgery performed?

In Switzerland, minimally invasive neurosurgical operations are performed using an endoscope - an optical device. A small skin incision is made in the selected area, through which an endoscope connected to a video camera is inserted. The video camera transmits a magnified image of the surgical field to the monitor.

In this way, the surgeon can navigate during the operation. The instruments are inserted through additional small incisions, with which they perform all the necessary actions on the spine. Once the surgery is complete, the endoscope and instruments are removed and the surgical wounds are sutured and bandaged.

Rehabilitation and recovery after surgery

The duration of rehabilitation directly depends on the type of minimally invasive surgery performed and the general condition of the patient.

The easiest recovery period is characteristic of nucleoplasty and hydroplasty. After this, the patient can immediately not only walk, but also sit down (preferably not more than 3 hours), and there is no acute need to wear a corset. No heavy lifting and no turning or lunging should be done. 

Modern surgery in Switzerland offers a wide range of services, and minimally invasive operations allow you to radically solve the problem of intervertebral hernia without great risk.

Today, many patients, dissatisfied with conservative treatment, decide to remove the hernia in 1 day and no longer suffer from severe pain and limited mobility.

The safety and effectiveness of minimally invasive surgeries make them the easiest method for treating spinal herniated discs. 

Specialists increasingly recommend not waiting for a herniated disc to enlarge, but removing it in its early stages of development. This ensures that there is no risk of neurological and other complications and that normal health is quickly restored.