Minimally invasive spinal surgery to treat back problems
Endoscopic spinal surgery is characterised by a small incision of only a few millimetres and the use of an endoscope for visualisation. The result is minimal disturbance of the surrounding tissues and structures of your spine, meaning less bleeding, faster recovery times and a quicker return to everyday life for patients.
Endoscopic spinal surgery is a highly specialised technique - it is more technically demanding than traditional open spine surgery. Your surgeon must undergo rigorous training before they are qualified to offer endoscopic spinal surgery.
At The Alexandra Hospital, we offer private endoscopic spinal surgery to people based in Manchester, Stockport, and Cheshire.
As part of Circle Health Group — the UK's largest network of private hospitals — our team at The Alexandra Hospital can help you access excellent standards of care with a dedicated team of orthopaedic specialists.
Mr Ankur Saxena, consultant neurosurgeon at The Alexandra Hospital in Manchester, is one of the UK's foremost endoscopic spinal surgeons and an accredited national trainer of the technique.
He explains, "Endoscopic surgery is in a bigger bracket of minimally invasive surgery. It is the least invasive because it causes minimal destruction of the muscle. You tackle the pathology in a similar way as you would do with open surgery, except that the approach causes the least collateral damage."
Endoscopic spinal surgery is commonly used is to treat lumbar disc prolapse, sometimes called a herniated disc. Disc prolapse is one of the most common causes of lower back pain. Your intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers to cushion the vertebra in your back. When the jelly-like substance that makes up the inside of the disc start to protrude against the tough, fibrous ring, it can put pressure on nearby spinal nerves, causing pain and irritation.
Endoscopic spinal surgery can also be used to treat spinal stenosis, another common cause of lower back pain. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal, which houses your spinal column and spinal nerves. When your spinal canal becomes constricted due to age or arthritis, it puts pressure on your spinal nerves, causing lower back pain and sciatica (burning, tingling or numbness in the buttocks and down the legs).
Endoscopic surgery is unique because it is performed using local anaesthetic as opposed to general anaesthetic. During the procedure, the surgeon will make a small incision of only a few millimetres in your back to create a channel to the pathology in your spine. Using state-of-the-art, specialised tools, the surrounding tissue is gently moved aside and the pathology is treated.
The endoscopic camera guides and assists the surgeon throughout the procedure. The camera's images are projected in real-time onto a monitor, allowing your surgeon to visualise what they are doing. After the surgeon has resolved the disc prolapse or spinal stenosis, they remove all instruments and stitch up the wound with one or two stitches.
Most ESS procedures are completed in around an hour. After the surgery, you should be able to get up and move around within hours. Depending on your condition, you may even be discharged the same day.
Because general anaesthetic is not necessary, endoscopic spinal surgery can be performed on patients of all age groups. It's a safer option for patients with comorbidities for whom general anaesthesia is a higher risk, including those with diabetes mellitus, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac disease, cerebral dysfunction (strokes), pulmonary dysfunction (emphysema), previous venous thrombosis, multiple sclerosis, obesity or Parkinsons.
Although the long-term outcomes of endoscopic spinal surgery are similar to that of traditional open spine surgery, the short-term benefits are considerable.
Mr Saxena explains, "What the endoscopic techniques help you with is faster recovery and less risk of early complications. So in a year's time, if I do an endoscopic surgery or an open surgery, the eventual outcomes for both patients will be very similar. But the endoscopic spine surgery patient would have a faster recovery and less risk of early complications."
"The volume of spine surgeries performed at The Alexandra Hospital is one of the highest in the UK. The number of endoscopic spine surgeries performed is also one of the highest in the country," said Mr Saxena. "Dedicated medical, nursing and therapy teams in the operating theatres and the wards are involved in dealing with patients in spinal pathology, focusing on the highest quality of care and the best possible outcomes."
If you are looking for relief from back pain caused by lumbar disc prolapse or spinal stenosis and you want to ensure your speedy recovery and quick return to normal life, get in touch with us to book a consultation. Book online today or call 0161 428 3656 to speak with one of our helpful staff to learn more.
