Medical Services

Advances in Spine Surgery

Because of the many nerves associated with the back and neck, spine surgery is typically only considered after a long course of more conservative therapies. Should surgery be necessary, Scripps spine specialists offer the complete spectrum of surgical treatments—from minimally invasive procedures and full reconstructive surgical techniques to the latest artificial disc replacement technology.

Scripps surgeons specializing in orthopedics and neurology perform the most advanced spine surgery options including:

• Discectomy: Removes all or part of the damaged cushion, or disc, that helps protect your spinal column.
• Foramenotomy: Widens the base of the spine to relieve nerve pressure.
• Kyphoplasty: Uses a small balloon in the interior of the vertebra to repair spinal compression fractures.
• Laminectomy: Removes lamina, a type of spinal bone, to relieve nerve pressure
• Minimally invasive lumbar decompression: This procedure uses a small incision to remove portions of the tissue around the spine that cause nerve compression (spinal stenosis)
• Artificial disc replacement: Replaces damaged tissue with an artificial disc
• Spinal fusion: Removes damaged disc and fuses vertebrae
• Vertebroplasty: Bone cement is used to repair spinal compression fractures

In addition, Scripps interventional spine specialists use non-surgical methods, such as x-ray guided injections and other techniques, to ease pain.