Spine surgery through a straw

Performing minimally invasive surgery through narrow tubes has provided great benefit for patients suffering with worn and painful spinal disc degeneration. Additional findings also show that -- following a learning curve -- minimally invasive techniques take the same amount of time for surgeons to perform as more invasive "standard" procedures.

The researchers studied 230 patients and found that the minimally invasive option helped to shorten a patient's length of stay, and reduced blood loss, operative times and surgical complications. The researchers also noted that time in the OR dropped significantly during the five-year study period, demonstrating a positive learning curve.

The study, published in a recent issue of the peer-reviewed journal Neurosurgery Focus, was led by Dr. Roger Härtl, the Leonard and Fleur Harlan Clinical Scholar at Weill Cornell Medical College, and chief of spinal surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Prior to the minimally invasive options, surgical removal and repair of worn spinal discs meant long and painful rehabilitation. The invasive surgical option involves large incisions in the abdomen and/or back, including cutting away muscles to reach the area of pain. Now, minimally invasive techniques, which employ small cuts and fine instruments, allow surgeons to spare muscle tissue, speeding patients back to their normal lifestyle.