What is minimally invasive surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery is a surgical method in which your surgeon performs your procedure through small incisions. Because the incisions are small, they’re less likely to cause damage to your healthy tissues, resulting in less pain, bleeding, scarring, and more.
Performing minimally invasive procedures typically requires advanced robotic systems, such as state-of-the-art endoscope cameras and computer imaging software.
What are the benefits of minimally invasive surgery?
When compared to traditional open surgery, minimally invasive procedures offer several benefits, including:
- Less scarring
- Reduced pain
- Less blood loss
- Minimal scarring
- Shorter hospital stay
- Quicker recovery time
- Lower risk of infection
- Less healthy tissue damage
Minimally invasive surgery allows your surgeon to perform your procedure as precisely as possible, with minimal disturbance to surrounding tissues and organs. As a result, you may experience a reduced risk of complications with minimally invasive surgery.
How does minimally invasive surgery work?
The most common type of minimally invasive surgery in neurosurgery, which addresses diseases of the brain and spine, is endoscopic surgery. Endoscopic procedures feature several components that allow your surgeon to operate without fully opening your tissue.
An endoscope is a long flexible tube that contains a small video camera at the end. The neurosurgery team at Academy of Neurosurgical Physicians inserts the endoscope into your body through small incisions to view your internal structures. The camera then projects video imaging onto an external monitor.
Your surgeon uses special surgical instruments to perform your procedure with assistance from the external video monitor. That allows the team to repair internal damage and remove growths, such as tumors, without making large incisions.
What conditions can minimally invasive surgery treat?
At Academy of Neurosurgical Physicians, the team can treat many conditions of the brain and spine with minimally invasive surgery, including:
- Herniated disc (cervical and lumbar)
- Pituitary tumors
- Anterior cranial fossa tumors (front of the skull)
- Posterior cranial fossa (back of skull)
- Spinal tumors
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spinal damage
After a series of tests, which includes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT) scans, X-rays, blood work, urinalysis, and more, your neurological surgeon can determine whether you’re a candidate for minimally invasive surgery.
To learn more about minimally invasive surgery, call Academy of Neurosurgical Physicians or schedule an appointment online now.
