Endoscopic Spine Surgery is most useful for patients with disk protrusions, especially foraminal and extraforaminal disk protrusions. where the standard approach would involve more removal of supportive bony structures. Although endoscopic spinal surgery was first performed decades ago, it has garnered increasing interest, due to recent innovations in endoscopic tools.
Dr. Dev Mishra at Shreya Hospital in Ghaziabad an Orthopaedic Surgeon dedicated to a range of spinal surgery techniques, including endoscopic spinal surgery. That breadth of expertise allows treatment to be tailored to patients’ specific needs.
Endoscopic spine surgery is an advanced, state-of-the-art form of minimally invasive spine surgery designed to provide the patient a quicker recovery time and less recurring pain than traditional spine surgery methods. ESS also can help preserve normal range of spine mobility post-operatively. In some cases, the ESS procedure can be performed using regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia, decreasing overall medical risks in patients who are older and/or have co-existing medical disorders that may increase surgical risk.
Endoscopic Spine Surgery Procedure
First, the patient is prepped for surgery including administration of a local anesthetic to block pain. A 1-inch or smaller skin incision is made and a tubular trocar (about the width of a pencil) is inserted. Depending on the patient’s specific diagnosis, the endoscopic technique may access the spine using one of two approaches: either an intralaminar (from the back of the spine between two laminae) or transforaminal (from the back/side of the spine into the neuroforamen; a nerve passageway) approach.
Next, a tiny camera is inserted through the trocar to the targeted area of the spine. Throughout ESS, the camera captures and projects real-time images of the operative site onto a monitor in the surgeon’s direct view. The endoscopic camera assists and guides the surgeon during the surgical procedure.
When the operation has concluded, the endoscopic camera and trocar are gently removed and the small incision is closed with a suture and small dressing (eg, Band-Aid).