Laser spine surgery? Is it better?

If you are a spine patient or someone who suffers from neck pain or back pain, then you may have come across numerous advertisements for laser spine surgery or diskectomy. In this article, we will learn about the laser assisted spine surgery and if it is you for or not.

If a person has a nerve compression anytime which results from a disc herniation that crowds or presses on a nerve root, then there may be associated numbness, pain, tingling or weakness related to it. A disc herniation or crowding of the nerve space in the neck may cause nerve pain in the arms. A disc herniation in the mid back may radiate around the chest, abdomen or into the groin. A disc herniation in the lower back will radiate into the legs.

Most of the disc herniations will improve with time as the body can reabsorb the disc fragments. If the disc herniation is new, it can result in a mechanical pressure and a chemical irritation to the nerves. This may neccessiate the treatment in the form of medications, occasionally injections with potent inflammatory medications known as epidural steroid injections and  activity modifications.

Despite undergoing the conservative efforts, if the symptoms are quite delibilitating or there is an extreme nerve deficit then the surgery is warranted. This happens when the techniques vary and the techniques to treat the disc herniation surgically ranges from a three to 18 mm incisions and the bone or the disc removal through the nerve for a men and under the boncy arch using the lasers or the mechanical instruments called as graspers to remove the irritative tissues. There are water jets and other tools that can be used by the most commly used is a tissue grasper. It is least likely to cause trauma to the nearby tissues. Instead the lasers have shown to cause a thermal injury to the nerve roots and the spinal fluid leakage thereby making it a less favorable option.

Additionally, the surgeries with a three mm incisions may look better on the outside but the results in less thorough removal of a tissue in order to effectively decompress the irritated nerves. Considering this reason, in most cases, the surgeons prefer the 14-16 mm opening that allows a very clear view of the disc fragments and the nerve structures. It is most important not to compromise the thoroughness of a surgery just to have a slightly smaller skin incisions since the benefits of the small incisions include less pain. But if the pain persists or if it leads to a less clear view of normal tissues and the inadvertent damage to the normal structures, the it is worthless considering the benefit of a small incision. 

The laser spine surgery is promoted as a minimally or even a non-invasive risk free surgery and they do require incisions. But the laser itself can result in serious complications. The laser spine surgery does not include surgery but an incision is made to allow access to the spine. A focused beam of light is used to remove the soft tissues over the spine. The bone and ligament will be removed to free the nerve from compression using the small instruments. The laser plays a very mior role in the laser spine surgery. The lasers are not new technology since they have been available for use in medicine since 1973. They have not been widely adopted as a tool for use in spinal surgery. You can contact Spine And Neuro Surgery Hospital India to avail the laser spine surgery from the Best Spine Surgeons across various hospitals in India at the most affordable price.