What is Spinal Stenosis?

How is a Bulging Disc Diagnosed?

• Epidural Steroid Injection are used two-fold, first, to relieve inflammation of the affected spinal nerve and secondly, diagnostically to confirm the correct affected spinal level at which the pain originates from.

Least Invasive Procedures

If pain still persists after conservative treatment and interventional spine injections, and there is evidence by CT Scan, MRI or X-ray or neurological deficit, then surgical intervention is usually recommended.

The following least invasive procedure can treat spinal stenosis with 90% success:

• Endoscopic Spinal Stenosis Decompression With a ½ inch incision, our surgeon can enter the spinal canal without disturbing or cutting muscle. With an HD camera/scope in an arthroscopy (water) environment, our surgeon directly observes and decompresses boney lamina and bone spurs that compress the spinal nerves. Recovery is superior to laminectomy or laminotomy, with most patients returning to work within 2-3 weeks.

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

In some cases spinal stenosis may be so severe that it may not be able to be treated with our least invasive techniques, and therefore we use one of the minimally invasive techniques widely used by spine surgeons across the world.

• MIS Lumbar Discectomy/Laminectomy A minimally invasive approach involves a small 15-20mm incision and sequential dilating tubes that gently spread the muscles to afford visualization to the spine. The goal of the technique is to decompress the boney lamina and facet that are pressing on the spinal nerves.
• MIS Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) This MIS fusion provides stability for the spine by stopping movement that used to cause mechanical pain when the patient moved. The surgery also provides complete decompression of spinal stenosis and any pressure on the nerves at this level.
• Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) The goal of an ACDF surgery is to remove pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerves while stabilizing the affected spinal disc. This surgery has been successfully performed with excellent patient outcomes for over 30 years. The ACDF procedure has been used for decades with a 90% success rate.
• Cervical Artificial Disc Replacement Artificial disc replacement provides an alternative solution to fusion when treating damaged discs. This procedure has been developed to maintain motion and decrease stress on the surrounding discs.

Recovery

• Least Invasive Procedures Because we use conscious sedation instead of general anesthesia, most patients can begin getting out of bed one hour after surgery and go home shortly afterwards. Patients can return to administrative work within 2 weeks. Pain after surgery is usually around the incision site and well tolerated with non-narcotic medicine such as Ibuprofen. Always consult your physician or orthopedic surgeon before beginning any physical work.
• Minimally Invasive Spine Most patients can go home once recovered from anesthesia, and their pain controlled with pain medication, within a few hours of surgery. Some patients may elect to stay overnight for observation until post-surgical pain is tolerable. Dr. Rodriguez usually has patients wear a supportive brace when out of bed for 6 weeks. Physical therapy is typically recommended and may be required after 6 weeks. Most patients return to work 6 weeks after the surgery. Patients whose jobs require physical labor may need to wait 3-6 months (after adequately rehabilitating the muscles) before they can return to full duty.
  
  At home, be sure to takes things slowly and get much needed rest. Our doctor and staff will give you instructions on how to gradually increase activity. You may still require some pain medication for first few weeks and as needed thereafter. Most pain will subside after one week of your surgery. You will be given physical therapy instructions to help reduce the pain and increase mobility. Dr. Rodriguez will discuss a timeline for you to resume work, normal activities such as driving, walking and light lifting and more physically demanding manual labor, sports or yard work.

How to Protect Yourself Safe From COVID-19?

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