No one ever wants to have spine surgery, but sometimes it’s the best way to get relief from the pain and regain optimal movement. If you face back surgery, you owe it to yourself to consult with the experts at Spine Center Atlanta. The team specializes in minimally invasive techniques and offers comprehensive care, including an on-site, fully-accredited outpatient surgical facility and a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center. To schedule an in-person or telemedicine appointment, call one of the seven offices in Atlanta, Savannah, Conyers, Forest Park, Augusta, Macon, and Decatur, Georgia, or book online today.

What is minimally invasive spine surgery?

The team at Spine Center Atlanta performs spine surgery as an outpatient procedure, allowing you to go home the same day. Though it’s almost hard to believe that you could have spine surgery without a long stay in the hospital, it’s possible because the team specializes in minimally invasive techniques.

Minimally invasive spine surgery has two essential differences compared with traditional spine surgery:

Small incision – The team performs minimally invasive surgery using specialized instruments that need an incision of only about one inch long. By comparison, traditional open surgery uses a 5- to 6-inch incision.

Muscle preservation – During minimally invasive back spine surgery, the team doesn’t cut your muscles. They gently separate the fibers, creating enough space for the narrow instruments. Open surgery generally means cutting through all of the tissues.

What are the advantages of minimally invasive spine surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery causes dramatically less trauma to your body. In addition to allowing you to have outpatient surgery, you also experience:

• Reduced blood loss
• Less postoperative pain
• Lower risk of infection
• Minimal scarring
• Faster healing
• Quicker recovery

Additionally, you can start rehabilitation and return to your activities faster.

When might I need spine surgery?

The Spine Center Atlanta team offers comprehensive care. That means they begin with a physical exam and on-site diagnostic imaging to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms. Then they start your treatment with the most appropriate nonsurgical therapies.

When your pain persists despite conservative care, they recommend surgery. Spinal conditions that may lead to surgery include:

• Herniated discs
• Lumbar stenosis
• Spinal tumors
• Nerve impingement
• Spinal fractures
• Spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebra)
• Degenerative disc disease
• Facet joint syndrome (arthritis)

The team also specializes in treating failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). This condition refers to back pain that persists after you have surgery to repair the problem.

Though FBSS is stressful, you still have hope. The exceptional surgeons at Spine Center Atlanta have extensive training and experience in surgical revisions and treatments that ease your ongoing pain.

What type of spine surgery might I receive?

Minimally invasive procedures that effectively treat the full range of back problems include:

• Anterior lumbar interbody fusion
• Anterior and posterior spine fusion
• Arthroscopic disc replacement
• Coflex® Interlaminar Stabilization® device
• Spinal fusion implant
• Decompressive laminectomy
• Percutaneous discectomy
• Microdiscectomy
• Discectomy

At Spine Center Atlanta, you can also receive non-fusion alternatives for treating an earlier spinal fusion that fails.

To learn more about back spine surgery at Spine Center Atlanta, call the nearest office or schedule an appointment online today.