Although no one likes having spine surgery, today’s minimally invasive technology makes it much less traumatic. Procedures that once took many hours to perform with days spent in the hospital and months spent in recovery, can now be done in one to three hours with a simple overnight stay in the hospital, or even home the same day. 

But according to Dr. Scheid, minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) isn’t a “one size fits all” approach.

“To me, minimally invasive surgery at its best doesn’t begin with the incision but with the thought process beforehand,” he explained. “Once we identify the problem then we can tailor a minimally invasive procedure around it.”

Although minimally invasive surgery can’t be used to correct every spine issue, Dr. Scheid performs it whenever possible and is an expert in all the most advanced techniques – techniques that offer numerous benefits such as:

• Smaller incision means there is less muscle and tissue damage
• Less blood loss
• Less post-operative discomfort or pain
• Fast recovery and healing
• Diminished need for pain medications after surgery

Generally speaking, the goal of MISS is to stabilize the vertebrae or spinal joints while relieving pressure on the nerves, which is often caused by conditions like bone spurs, herniated discs, and spine instability.