Arthroscopic spine surgery makes use of an endoscope to see the precise site of the affected area. The procedure of this surgery is different from the traditional open back surgery. Arthroscopy is an advance spine surgery where patient can avoid removal of the bone and muscle dissection so that patients who are suffering from thoracic, cervical and lumbar disc disorders undergo fewer traumas. Also patients who undergo this kind of surgery recover much faster and gets back to doing its normal activity much earlier than those who undergo open back surgery.
Arthroscopic procedures are used in conditions like bulging discs, ruptured discs and herniated discs. The procedure requires the use of local anesthesia and a small cut where a small tube is inserted. The camera with the laser and other surgical instruments are inserted through this tube. The laser is use to vaporize the disc material thus lessening the pressure on the spinal cord. When the procedure is complete then the tube is removed. This whole procedure is said to be done in just 45 minutes. The camera is use to get a magnified view of the affected area.
This kind of surgery is the most popular today. It definitely has an edge over the traditional open back surgery where the procedure can cause immense pain, lots of bleeding and most of all patients have longer time to recover. That is probably the reason why open back surgery is rarely use nowadays.
The major benefits that an individual gets with arthroscopic procedure are that the joints, bones and muscles are not affected at all as well as the nerve in that area. What is more is that patients get to recover fast thus less time in recovery and hospitalization. The surgery is over for just a day and the patient can be discharged on the same day or the next day. It does not cause any trauma if it does it is certainly less than the traditional open back surgery. Also it is done through a short general anesthesia which lessens the risk of lung and heart disease in patients.
One more thing is that, it does not leave any scars since it only involves one wound and that is the site where the tube is inserted. The good thing with it is that ninety percent of the cases is successful and patients reported pain relief after the surgery but for those who still suffers pain, it is recommended that they go further to other methods.