When Surgery Is Not an Option for Patientsĭue to risks, some people are unable to get surgeries due to co-morbidities (additional diseases or disorders). With that in mind, for removing tumors or shrinking disk material around a nerve, laser spine surgery can be good but it does act as a physically reductive agent in virtually all applications. Inflammation causes many issues, but it’s your body’s way of telling you there is an underlying issue that needs to be addressed.ĭestroying that which signals the brain doesn’t eliminate what caused the issue. Getting rid of that which causes pain is like putting a piece of tape over the check engine light in your car. Your body sends pain signals as warning signs of operational issues. While recovery is relatively quick, portions of soft tissue are often removed to reduce nerve compression which leads to pain. One of the more common complaints after the procedure is that it does not provide enough relief of back pain. These range from pain at the graft site, infection, excess bleeding, and blood clots, to more serious problems like nerve damage, complications from anesthesia, or leaking of spinal fluid. The procedure does require an incision and the laser itself can result in serious complications. While laser spine surgery is a minimally-invasive procedure, like any form of surgery, there are potential risks. For bone related diagnoses such as bony spinal stenosis, laser surgery is not an effective treatment as the laser will not cut bone. It is often used for the treatment of stenosis, facet syndrome, or sacroiliac joint syndrome. While the laser is an effective tool for certain types of spinal surgery, it may not be the first choice for treatment. The beam is very small and can be accurately aimed at a specific target without injuring nearby tissue. The laser cuts, cauterizes, or vaporizes the soft tissues. Soft tissue and soft tissue bleeders respond well to the heat of the laser because of their water content. The main benefit of using the laser in a small tube is that it doesn’t take up much room and it can deliver a very powerful beam of energy. The process consists of the surgeon making a small incision to allow the insertion of a small tube through which a fiber optic holmium laser is inserted. It can be performed through an incision as small as 1/4” providing more comfort to the patient, less soft tissue disruption and faster recovery time.

Laser spine surgery is often advertised as a safer, minimally-invasive procedure compared to the traditional “open” spine surgery. While many patients believe that laser spine surgery is an experimental treatment, the fact is that the holmium laser was approved for use in orthopedics and spine surgery in the 1980s. Second, we will discuss regenerative stem cell therapy. It is regenerative stem cell therapy.įirst, let’s take a look at laser spine surgery – what it is, how it’s used, what it is effective at treating, and the potential risks involved with the procedure. There is a viable alternative to laser spine surgery and traditional back surgery options. Is laser spine surgery or back surgery the only option for patients to treat their lower back chronic pain? In other cases, more traditional back surgery may be suggested by a doctor. Most cases of back pain are related to misalignment of the spine and muscular issues, and will not require or benefit from surgery as the first line of treatment.įor cases of chronic low back pain that require advanced treatment, laser spine surgery is often offered as a minimally-invasive procedure to attempt to alleviate the patient’s pain. Proper diagnosis is the key to developing a treatment plan. While 90 percent of lower back pain cases are resolved within six weeks, 7 percent of those affected will develop chronic back pain requiring advanced treatment.

In fact, Americans spend 50 billion dollars on back pain treatments every year, and the indirect costs (including lost wages, legal, and insurance) are upwards of 100 billion dollars annually. According to the CDC, eight out of ten Americans will experience back problems at some point in their lifetimes.

Stem cell treatment for spinal stenosis