Spine Surgery

What is Spine Surgery Surgery?

Reclaim Mobility

The Knee bones have a soft tissue called cartilage. When the cartilage wears off, it causes wear and tears in the joints. This leads to pain and inflammation around the knees.

In a Knee Replacement Surgery, parts of the knee bone are shaved off and replaced with different kinds of implants depending on the severity of osteoarthritis in the knee and the patient’s age itself.

Tips for a Healthy Spine

Let your spine really rest while sleeping

While you're lying down, all the structures in your spine that have worked hard all day finally have an opportunity to relax and be rejuvenated. To make the most of this time, you need a mattress and pillows that allow your spine to rest in a supported and comfortable way.

Exercise your core to strengthen abs and back muscles

Your core muscles—your lower back and abdominal muscles—need to be strong and supple in order to support your spine and take pressure off your lower back. Unfortunately, for most of us our core muscles are rarely used during everyday activities; they need to be toned through specific, targeted exercises. These exercises are simple and can be performed in 20 to 30 minutes as part of a daily routine.

Your shoes need to support your spine

Whether you're walking for exercise or just to get where you're going, the shoes you wear play an important role in supporting your lower back. Good shoes provide a supportive base that helps the spine and body remain in alignment. For example, make sure the area of the shoe that fits the back of your heels is snug, but not overly tight, as a good fit in the heel prevents over pronation or supination—or too much rolling of the foot to the outside or inside.

Enjoy the benefits of a massage

Did you know that massage has a number of therapeutic benefits in addition to general stress relief? A good massage will help increase endorphins—the body's natural painkiller—in your bloodstream, which in turn may allow you to cut back on pain medications. Massage can also encourage blood flow, which in turn brings healing nutrients to the affected area and can speed healing.

Practice good ergonomics while sitting, and limit total sitting time

The discs in your lower spine are loaded 3 times more while sitting than standing, so long periods of sitting can create or aggravate a painful back condition. Moreover, when sitting at a desk and/or looking at a computer screen, our natural tendency is to slouch and lean forward, stressing our lumbar discs even more.

Keep Your Bones Strong

Calcium and vitamin D can help. Dairy products are the best sources of calcium, but other options are green, leafy vegetables like broccoli and kale. If you don't get enough calcium from food, ask your doctor about supplements.

Re-adjusting the patella

Before returning the patella to its normal position, the surgeon might need to flatten the patella and fit it with an additional plastic component in order to ensure a proper fit with the rest of your implant.

Finalizing the procedure

Your surgeon will bend and flex the knee to ensure that the implant is working correctly, and that alignment, sizing, and positioning is suitable. To complete the procedure, the surgeon will close the incision with stitches or staples.

Know more about Spine Surgery

Spine Surgery is of two types:

Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is also called less invasive spine surgery. In the spine surgical procedures, surgeons use specialised instruments to access the spine through small incisions.
In a traditional open surgery, a 5 to 6 inch long incision is made, then the muscles are moved to the side in order to see the spine. The surgeon now accesses the spine to remove diseased and damaged bone or intervertebral discs. The surgeon places screws, cages, and any bone graft materials necessary for the treatment, thereby improving healing.

The need for minimally invasive spine surgery is the same as for traditional open surgery. Spine surgery is usually recommended only when nonsurgical treatments — medications and physical therapy — have not provided relief from the painful symptoms caused by the problem. Surgery is considered only if the exact source of your pain can be identified, such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis.

MIS Lumbar Discectomy

Herniated discs in the lower back may pinch a nerve and cause severe leg pain, numbness, or weakness. To relieve these symptoms the affected disc is removed in a procedure called discectomy.
The patient is positioned face-down and a small incision is made at the location of the herniated disc. A retractor is inserted and a small amount of the lamina bone is removed. This gives the surgeon a view of the spinal nerve and the disc. The surgeon then carefully retracts the nerve and removes only the damaged disc.
This technique can also be used for herniated discs in the neck. The procedure is usually done through the back of the neck and is called an MIS posterior cervical foraminotomy/discectomy.
MIS Lumbar Fusion
A standard open lumbar fusion can be performed from the back, through the abdomen, or from the side. Minimally invasive lumbar fusions can also be done in the same way.
A common MISS fusion is the transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). Using this technique, the surgeon approaches the spine a little bit from the side and this reduces how much of the spinal nerve must be moved.
In an MIS TLIF, the patient is positioned face-down and retractors are placed on either side of the spine. This approach prevents disruption of the midline ligaments and bone. By using two retractors, the surgeon can remove the lamina and the disc, place the bone graft into the disc space, and also place screws or rods to provide additional support.
Sometimes additional bone graft and the patient’s own bone is used to improve the likelihood of healing.

Anterior cervical discectomy

In this procedure, the cervical spine is approached through the front of the neck. The problematic disc or bone is identified and corrected.
Anterior cervical body fusion is done as and where deemed necessary.