If you suffer from neck, back or leg pain, and you’ve been told its time for surgery, know your options, because you have some.
That’s what Judith Millman, a 72-year-old shuffleboard enthusiast from Toms River, learned. She has suffered with leg pain for years. To no avail, she tried epidural shots, electric stimulation, and one doctor suggested she have screws inserted. Judith kept searching for answers and then learned about minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) and the potential benefits it could bring her.
“Judith was suffering from a slipped disc, or spondylolisthesis, where one of the bones of her spine was out of alignment causing the nerves going to her legs to be compressed. If left alone, this could have led to permanent damage,” explains Dr. Pinakin Jethwa, a neurosurgeon at Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists (ANS). ANS, the largest neurosurgical practice in New Jersey, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the nervous system – the delicate and complex command, control and communication network in the body that’s made up of the brain, spine and neurovascular system. “When Judith came to me, she had severe back pain that was not getting better. Even worse, she wasn’t unable to walk for more than a few feet without crippling pain in her legs.”
Dr. Jethwa determined the best approach for the optimal outcome was minimally invasive spinal fusion. With minimally invasive spine surgery, the surgeon makes one small incision, about an inch and a half long, directly over the problem area. This is in stark contrast to open surgery where a much larger incision is made over the middle of the spine, and then muscles and soft tissues are mobilized to access the area. Because there’s no long incision with MISS, there’s less trauma, less blood loss, less muscle injury, less need for post-op pain medication – plus a lower risk for infection and a better cosmetic result. It’s often done as same-day surgery with a shorter, more comfortable recovery period and a faster return to daily activities than traditional surgery.
“Once the small incision is made, dilators are used to provide access to the problem area,” Dr. Jethwa details. “A retractor is placed over the dilators, providing a one inch wide conduit to the spinal area. The entire procedure is done through this conduit with illumination and magnification provided by a microscope and without stripping the muscles from the spinal column.”
MISS is being used to treat a wide range of spine issues from degenerative disc disease to herniated discs, lumbar spinal stenosis, deformities including scoliosis, spinal infections, spinal instability, vertebral compression fractures and spinal tumors. Thanks to its positive outcomes, the field of MISS continues to rapidly develop.
“In Judith’s case, we relieved the pressure on her nerves by releasing the bones and ligaments. We then removed the offending disc material and realigned the spine just as we would in traditional surgery,” Dr. Jethwa continues. “For patients like Judith, MISS achieves all of the goals of traditional open surgery without the risk and discomfort. Often, two weeks after surgery, patients are ready to get back to their lives.”
Judith is a prime example. She was operated on in August, and a week later, was released from rehab.
“My recovery was incredible,” she shares. “I had surgery on a Thursday, entered rehab the following Monday and was released that Friday. I quickly graduated from each level of self-sufficiency, and before I knew it, I was home. I exercise daily, and I’m ready to get back to shuffleboard. Life is good!”
To learn more about minimally invasive spine surgery, contact ANS at 732-455-8225 and visit ansdocs.com.
Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists (ANS) is New Jersey’s largest neurosurgical practice and one of the most advanced in the country. Since its founding in 1958, ANS has specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the nervous system.