Is keyhole viable for all spine surgeries?
Dr Benjamin Tow discusses situations where a traditional open surgery is indicated for patients
Keyhole spinal surgery, also known as minimally invasive spinal surgery, is where surgeons use small incisions to do the operation, Dr Tow says. “While we have a lot of advantages, where we have a smaller incision, less bleeding, and faster recovery, keyhole spinal surgery is technically more difficult and it takes longer than a traditional operation because you can only operate on a very small part of the spine at a time.”
Keyhole spinal surgery is a recent advancement, where the limits and possibilities are constantly being pushed over time. While the majority of spine surgeries can be performed using a minimally invasive approach, there are some situations where this approach may not be appropriate.
For example, if there are severe deformities or if the procedure requires operation through multiple levels or it requires an operation through very extensive segments of the spine, this would make minimally invasive surgery less appropriate. As the anatomy of the spine is altered and extensive work is often required, it means that the surgical time would be multiplied many times.
80 to 90 percent of lumbar lower back surgeries can be done through keyhole surgery but there are around 10 to 20 percent of cases where the deformity is severe. Similarly, if it is a very large, extensive surgery that is required or if there is a lot of bleeding expected, like in the case of a tumor surgery, where you will need a lot of blood stopping agents to achieve the operation, then in these situations an open surgery may be more appropriate.
Dr Benjamin Tow is a consultant orthopeadic and spine surgeon, with extensive experience in treating degenerative conditions of the spine, deformity-surgery and minimally-invasive spine surgery, as well as treating general orthopaedic conditions in children and adults. He is in private practice at The Orthopaedic and Spine Clinic in Singapore and can be contacted at +65 6235 5774.
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