Treatments

What is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS)?

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) is a technique in performing operation that aim at producing less soft tissue damage while achieving the same surgical goal. By having smaller skin incisions and less soft tissue dissections, MISS would be able to result in a smaller amount of blood loss, less scarring and postoperative pain, quicker recovery and a shorter hospital stay, and ultimately an earlier return to the normal daily activities. Let’s take a look at the following two commonly seen examples of MISS:-

 

1.     Minimally Invasive Lumbar Diskectomy and/or Decompression

Lumbar Diskectomy and/or Decompression employing the use of microscopic tube or endoscopy would be able to preserve the paraspinal muscles, spinous process and the ligaments involve in the posterior tension band and thereby maintain the stability of the spine even after the operation. Apart from having a quicker recovery we would be able to reduce the need of fusion surgery in the future by preserving spinal stability.

 

 

 

 

 

2.     Minimally Invasive Lumbar Posterior Spinal Fusion

Pedicle screws insertion through percutaneous stab wounds and cage insertion via posterolateral mini-open wound again aimed at preserving paraspinal muscles and bony structures while achieving the same construct for stable fixation of the spinal segment to achieve fusion. Apart from the benefits of MISS listed above, preservation of posterior tension band in fusion surgery has the additional benefit of maintaining stability in the adjacent spinal segments also.

 

Dr. TSE, Siu-hei Michael