Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Specialist

Verma Spine

Board Certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Serving Long Beach and Orange County

Conservative options are the first line of treatment when you struggle with chronic back pain, a back injury, or deformities such as scoliosis. When your symptoms don’t improve, however, it may be time to talk with Kushagra Verma, MD, MS, FAAOS, at Verma Spine about minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Verma, who serves patients in Los Alamitos, Long Beach, and Orange County, California, has extensive experience using today’s most advanced surgical techniques to perform safe and accurate spine surgery. To learn more about your treatment options, call the office or schedule an appointment online.

562-732-4578

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Q & A

What is minimally invasive spine surgery?

Minimally invasive procedures are performed using small incisions together with surgical instruments designed to fit through the narrow opening. During minimally invasive spine surgery, Dr. Verma uses an endoscope, a narrow instrument that contains lighting, and a video camera that sends a magnified view of your spine to a monitor.

Dr. Verma uses today’s most advanced techniques during minimally invasive spine surgery. One example is navigated spine surgery, which uses the real-time imaging of a CT scan to ensure safety and precision during your surgery.

What is computer-assisted spine surgery?

Computer-assisted spine surgery is another one of today’s innovative techniques. Using smart instruments and digital imaging, Dr. Verma can view a three-dimensional computerized image of your spine while performing surgery.

The digital imaging uses infrared signals to track smart instruments, showing the location of surgical tools and ensuring the precise placement of plates, screws, and rods needed to support your spine.

What type of minimally invasive spine procedure might I receive?

Many types of spinal surgeries can now be done with minimally invasive techniques, including:

Disc replacement

When you have a degenerated disc, Dr. Verma may replace it with an artificial disc, alleviating your back pain while preserving normal spine movement.

Discectomy

During a discectomy, Dr. Verma removes the damaged part of a herniated disc.

Spinal fusion

Fusing two vertebrae together stabilizes the spine but also affects mobility.

Laminectomy

A laminectomy is a procedure to relieve compressed nerves by removing part of a vertebra.

Foraminotomy

This procedure also decompresses nerves by enlarging the opening, or foramen, where nerves leave the spine.

What benefits do I gain from minimally invasive surgery?

Traditional open surgery is done with one long incision that cuts through all the tissues, including your muscles. Then the tissues are pulled back to create an opening large enough for a surgeon’s hands to reach the spine.

Minimally invasive surgery eliminates the trauma of open surgery. Dr. Verma can spare your muscles by using a retractor to gently stretch the fibers and create the small opening needed for the surgical tools. After your surgery, the muscles don’t need time to heal; they simply return to their normal position.

The health benefits of minimally invasive surgery include:

Quicker recovery
Less pain after surgery
Less bleeding during surgery
Lower risk of infection
Minimal scarring

If you suffer from ongoing back problems, call Verma Spine or schedule an appointment online.

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