Both types of surgeries have the end goal of relieving your pain by stabilizing your spine by taking pressure off your affected nerves.
Laser spine surgery vs traditional.
Muscle tissues are pulled aside so surgeons can get a good look at the problem and repair it.
Traditional spine surgery involves scalpels or other precision cutting tools and often entails opening up the back with a wide or long incision.
Laser spine surgery vs.
Minimally invasive spine surgery.
In other words laser surgery will theoretically cause decreased blood loss and scarring.
An incision is needed to insert the laser into the appropriate area.
In fact more than 95 of minimally invasive spine procedures in the u s.
Main differences between laser and traditional.
Risk of damaging muscles and bone is removed.
A laser is used to make the necessary cuts rather than the scalpel used in more traditional surgery.
Minimally invasive spine surgery is a newer and innovative technique to spinal care.
The truth is minimally invasive spine surgery miss can be performed as effectively and probably more effectively without a laser.
Then the surgeon.
The laser is then used to remove any soft tissues that need to be removed.
Traditional open spine surgery.
Laser spine surgery is heavily marketed on the internet and tv as better and safer than traditional surgical techniques and claims to give a quicker recovery these claims are unproven and can be mis leading.
No muscle or bone damage.
Doctors who support laser spinal surgery maintain it is more efficient effective and gentle than traditional methods.
Doctors who perform laser spine surgery claim that it is more efficient and effective than minimally invasive spine surgery using more traditional surgical methods.
In rare cases laser spine surgery may not be recommended but when it is it s something to seriously consider as an alternative to traditional open spine surgery.
However laser spine surgery does not mean that the procedure will be incision free.
Patients often assume that laser means more technically advanced.
Are done without laser.
In the traditional open approach the surgeon s incision goes through the skin to the muscle.
Laser in my opinion isn t a viable alternative to traditional low back surgery.
Each approach has specific pros and cons and therefore weighing minimally invasive spine surgery vs traditional surgery can make a difference in your surgical outcome for back or neck pain.
In fact i now have to give the above air quote when i talk about laser spine surgery with my patients.
Written by deuk spine institute.
Additionally more complex or complicated conditions will often require a more traditional surgical.
Laser back surgery isn t recommended for some conditions such as degenerative spine diseases.
