What to Ask Your Surgeon & FAQ’s

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Disclaimer:

Please remember that medical information provided by these and associated resources in the absence of a formal consultation with a health care professional must be considered as an educational service only. Such information should not be relied upon as a medical advice and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services.

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Surgery should typically be considered a last resort for most spinal conditions. However, if non-operative treatments have been attempted without improvement or if your condition involves risk for ongoing non-operative treatment, surgical intervention may be reasonable. The decision to proceed with surgery should be individualized to each patient, their specific symptoms and understanding of all available options.

The field of minimally invasive spine surgery continues to evolve rapidly. Many spinal procedures today can be treated with some component of minimally invasive surgical techniques. However, there are certain conditions that may still require traditional open surgery. The best options should be individualized to the patient’s diagnosis and overall patient condition.

It is imperative that your surgeon understand the structural pathology in your spine to most reliably plan and execute an optimal surgical plan. Pre-operative imaging is the mainstay of this evaluation.

In general, minimally invasive spine surgery decreases postoperative hospital stay due to improvement in post-operative pain and immediate disability. Depending on which type of surgery you undergo, you may be ready to go home several hours to days after surgery. A wide range of surgery- and patient-specific factors may affect this length of stay; it is important to set expectations with your surgeon prior to undergoing the procedure.

The decision to return to work should be individualized to the patient, as well as the patient’s occupation. This may range from several days to several months after surgery, depending on the type of procedure performed and the demands of a given patient’s job.

Physical therapy is an important component of a rapid recovery. This is individualized to the patient, but in most cases, physical therapy starts 2-6 weeks after surgery. This will depend on the type of surgery performed, pre-operative functional level and overall condition.

Minimally invasive spine surgery holds significant promise in terms of minimizing postoperative pain, enabling a rapid recovery and limiting damage to nearby tissues and structures while accomplishing the goals of spinal surgery. A large amount of research to answer key questions regarding the short- and long-term benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery as compared to traditional open surgery.

While well beyond the experimental stage, there are some barriers to universal adoption of minimally invasive spine surgery. Most minimally invasive techniques are highly technical and require specific training. It is important to understand your surgeon’s background and experience with these techniques prior to considering surgery. Furthermore, there are certain conditions that may still require traditional open surgery regardless of the treating surgeon.

 
 

What to Ask About Your Doctor’s MISS Practice

The following are some questions you should ask your doctor about his/her practice if you are considering Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS).

  • What percentage of your practice involves MISS vs. open surgery?
  • How long have you been doing MISS?
  • What is the difference between Open vs. MISS?
  • How many MISS procedures have you performed in the last 6 months?
  • What training have you had in MISS surgery?
  • Do you present your work on MISS at peer-reviewed scientific meetings and journals?
  • How do I prepare for MISS?
  • What are the risks of MISS?
  • What will happen during MISS?
  • What will my recovery look like after MISS?
  • Are you Board-certified by either the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.abos.org) or the American Board of Neurological Surgery? (www.abns.org)

*Nationally recognized Board-certification entities are listed in the American Board of Medical Specialties (www.abms.org). The ABOS and ABNS are currently the only recognized Boards for spinal surgery.

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