Medical Knowledge
DISKECTOMY
OVERVIEW
Diskectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the damaged portion of a herniated disk in your spine. A herniated disk can irritate or compress nearby nerves. Diskectomy is most effective for treating pain that radiates down your arms or legs.
The procedure is less helpful for treating actual back pain or neck pain. Most people who have back pain or neck pain find relief with more-conservative treatments, such as physical therapy.
Your doctor may suggest Diskectomy if conservative, nonsurgical treatments haven't worked or if your symptoms worsen. There are several ways to perform a discectomy. Many surgeons now prefer minimally invasive discectomy, which uses small incisions and a tiny video camera for viewing the procedure.
LAMINECTOMY
WHAT IS A LAMINECTOMY?
Back or neck pain that interferes with normal daily activities may need surgery for treatment. Laminectomy is a type of surgery in which a surgeon removes part or all of the vertebral bone (lamina). This helps ease pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots that may be caused by injury, herniated disk, narrowing of the canal (spinal stenosis), or tumors. A laminectomy is considered only after other medical treatments have not worked.
SPINAL FUSION
Overview
Spinal fusion involves techniques designed to mimic the normal healing process of broken bones. During spinal fusion, your surgeon places bone or a bonelike material within the space between two spinal vertebrae. Metal plates, screws and rods may be used to hold the vertebrae together, so they can heal into one solid unit.
SPINAL DECOMPRESSION SURGERY
WHAT IS SPINAL DECOMPRESSION SURGERY?
Spinal decompression surgery is a general term that refers to various procedures intended to relieve symptoms caused by pressure, or compression, on the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. You have several options, including a corpectomy, a discectomy, a laminotomy, a foraminotomy, or osteophyte removal.
CORPECTOMY
WHAT IS CORPECTOMY?
Corpectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the vertebral body, usually in an effort to decompress the spinal cord and nerve roots. It is also used in the correction of spinal deformity (kyphosis and scoliosis). It is most commonly used to treat spinal stenosis and myelopathy of the cervical spine through an anterior approach. After completing a corpectomy the spine is stabilized with structural bone graft spanning the corpectomy defect and anterior spinal instrumentation. Most patients are discharged home within 2-4 days and heal within 6-12 weeks.
POSTERIOR LUMBAR INTERBODY FUSION
WHAT IS POSTERIOR LUMBAR INTERBODY FUSION?
A Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) is a lumbar fusion procedure from the back, or posterior approach. During this procedure, your surgeon will make a midline incision in order to expose the posterior spine elements, such as the spinous process, lamina and facet joint. Bone is removed to create a window to open the spinal canal. This creates access to remove disc material in order to prepare the space for implants to fuse the bones together. Screws and rods are used to stabilize this fusion process.