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Not that long ago, finding relief from chronic neck pain required open neck surgery, which is an invasive procedure accompanied by hospital stays and long recovery times. Nowadays, thanks to modern medical advances, more and more people are finding neck pain relief from minimally invasive surgery — procedures that were not available even a few years ago.
What is minimally invasive surgery?
The term “minimally invasive surgery” encompasses wide range of procedures that require only a small incision to perform. These procedures are done with special tools and video equipment that enable the surgeon to work with more precision. It typically causes less trauma to nearby, unaffected areas of the body. Minimally invasive procedures can often be accomplished on an outpatient basis.
Advantages of minimally invasive procedures
There are many reasons why surgeons give preference to minimally invasive options whenever possible. These include:
- Lowered risk of infection. Any incision puts the patient at some risk of infection. The smaller the incision, the lower the risk.
- Reduced trauma to the body. Whenever a surgeon operates, the body experiences some trauma. This impact is greatly reduced with minimally invasive procedures.
- Faster recovery times. Thanks to reduced impact, less invasive surgeries enable patients to resume normal activities more quickly.
- More economical. Minimally-invasive procedures usually do not require a hospital stay, making them far less expensive than major procedures.
Benefits for neck patients
Minimally invasive surgery is especially advantageous for patients suffering with neck pain. First of all, patients regain mobility more quickly. Secondly, there is a reduced risk of complications because the affected area is restricted to a very small part of the neck, creating less risk for the patient. Many neck procedures that used to require open neck surgery can now be accomplished on an outpatient basis using minimally-invasive techniques, from relieving pressure on the upper spine to cervical disc replacement and other procedures. At Polaris, we are committed to exhausting non-invasive options whenever possible when treating patients with pain in the neck or spine, and we utilize these less invasive procedures only after attempting to treat the pain by non-invasive methods. To learn more about how you can find neck pain relief through minimally invasive surgery, call Polaris Spine today at 404.256.2633.