Minimally Invasive Neck Surgery

About Our Approach

It probably sounds odd, but most neck operations can be performed in a minimally invasive fashion through very small incisions with very little muscle trauma.  Many surgeries can be done as outpatient or with a very short stay.  Very few operations require longer periods of time in a hospital setting, and only a small group of patients need surgery with larger incisions anymore.  

At Modern Spine, we strive to offer the least invasive options to patients that get them home faster and with less risk than traditional spine surgery.  We have the expertise to do it all but most often can deliver care in a modern, minimally invasive way.  This gets patients back to their lives quicker and usually with substantially less risk than traditional spinal surgery.  

The indications for neck surgery are numerous including: 

 

Disc Herniation
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal Cord Compression
Nerve Root Compression
Radiculopathy / Arm Symptoms
Degenerative Disc Disease
Spinal Fracture
Deformity / Scoliosis / Kyphosis
Spinal Tumors
Spinal Infections
Revision Surgery

When to Consider Surgery

If you are experiencing increasing symptoms, it is adviseable to speak to your primary care physician, chiropractor, pain doctor, or rehab doctor to discuss conservative care options of which there are many.  In the majority of cases, non-surgical care is very effective at managing and resolving severe symptoms.  

If the symptoms persist past 4-6 weeks for some conditions or 4-6 months for others, it is reasonable to seek consultation with a surgeon to discuss options.  Oftentimes, x-rays and an MRI are performed to assess the pathology before seeing a surgeon to identify areas of nerve compression or other pathology.  

Symptoms that you might experience are:

  • Neck pain
  • Headaches
  • Positional pain
  • Neck stiffness
  • Muscle spasms
  • Arm numbness
  • Arm weakness
  • Leg weakness
  • Arm pain
  • Loss of coordination
  • Balance problems
  • Clumsiness
  • Falls
  • Posture changes

If you are experiencing a rapid worsening of your symptoms, it might be in your best interest to seek Urgent Care or Emergency Room evaluation for rapid evaluation.  

Next Steps

If you are experiencing these symptoms or have concerns, talk to your doctor or Contact Us at Modern Spine for an evaluation.  We use focused patient surveys to assess to the degree of your disease, will review with you your MRI’s and x-rays personally, and have a detailed discussion about the many options available.  You can research many of the options for your neck here at Modern Spine in advance, and we will answer questions about your specific care options in detail.  

At Modern Spine, we believe in a no pressure environment when making decisions about surgery.  While the idea of neck surgery can be anxiety provoking, the surgeries are actually fairly safe, have relatively high success rates, and can be very helpful at returning patient’s back to their regular life before pain.  If you have concerns, contact us.  We offer initial consultations and second opinions regardless of whether you have had surgery before or not.  

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