Spinal Procedures

Robotic Assisted Spinal Surgery

Today, robotic surgery is widely utilized across many surgical subspecialties including gyne-oncology, urology, orthopedics, cardiothoracic and general surgery for minimally invasive procedures.Using Robotic assisted techniques, surgeons in these fields have been able to greatly reduce the number of incisions and the size of the incisions made, demonstrating success in single-incision operations for colectomy, radical prostatectomy, cholecystectomy, myectomy, and many others.

Endoscopic Spine Surgery

Endoscopy is an ultra minimally invasive form of spine surgery. By combining tiny incisions (usually less than 1 cm) with high-definition endoscopic visualisation, a whole range of procedures can be performed, minimising the amount of disruption to normal tissues and often without the need for general anaesthesia. Endoscopic spine surgery encompasses a number of different procedures, including discectomy, decompression and even fusion surgeries.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)

Historically, the anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF) approach was credited to Smith and Robinson, and Cloward in 1958. The surgeon approaches the cervical spine through a small skin-crease incision in the front of the neck. ACDF has been the gold standard in the surgical treatment of numerous conditions, including disc herniation and/or bony compression, traumatic and tumour related compression or instability, and cervical deformity.

Cervical Arthroplasty

Following the advent of anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF) by Smith and Peterson, and Cloward in 1958, the first reported use of cervical arthroplasty was by Fernstrom in 1966. Since then, many reiterations of motion preserving devices transpired.

Cervical Foraminotomy

A cervical laminotomy/foraminotomy is an operative procedure of removing a small part of the bone (lamina and facet joint) at the back of the neck (posterior cervical spine) region to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves. No fusion or implants are used for this surgery. This operation has been used widely for isolated nerve root compression where the spinal cord is not involved.

Cervical Laminectomy with Fusion

A cervical laminectomy is an operative procedure of removing the bone (lamina) at the back of the neck (posterior cervical spine) region to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Laminectomy refers to removal or cutting of the lamina (roof) of the vertebral bones to provide space for the spinal cord and nerves to exit from the spine.

Cervical Laminoplasty

Laminoplasty combines the terms lamina, which is the plate of bone that forms the roof of the spinal canal (through which the spinal cord travels), and plasty, which can mean ‘restore’ or ‘open up’.

Insertion of Syrinx Shunt

A syrinx is a fluid-filled cavity inside the spinal cord. It can be caused by a number of different things, including spinal injury, bleeding, infection and tumours. It can also be associated with congenital problems, such as Chiari malformation. As syrinxes enlarge, they can cause significant neurological symptoms, and may require treatment, such as by diverting the fluid away from the spinal cord into another part of the body where it is absorbed (most commonly the peritoneal cavity, in which case it is called a syringo-peritoneal shunt).

Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy

Endoscopic (or ‘key hole’) discectomy is the most minimally invasive way of removing a disc herniation from the lumbar spine. By combining tiny incisions (usually less than 1 cm) with high-definition endoscopic visualisation, endoscopic lumbar discectomy can be performed with minimal disruption to normal tissues and often without the need for general anaesthesia.

Lumbar Decompression Laminectomy

Lumbar laminectomy, also known as decompression laminectomy, is a common surgery performed to relieve pressure on the spinal nerve(s) in the lumbar (lower back) region.Historically, the operation dates back to the 1820s, but the technique has been refined to a much smaller incision.

Lumbar Microdiscectomy

Microdiscectomy is a surgical procedure employed to relieve the pressure over the spinal cord and/or nerve roots, caused by a herniated intervertebral disc. A herniated disc, common in the lower back (lumbar spine) occurs when the inner gelatinous substance of the disc escapes through a tear in the outer, fibrous ring (annulus fibrosus).

Minimally Invasive Lumbar Discectomy

Lumbar discectomy is a spinal surgery that involves removal of damaged intervertebral disc to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves (decompression) in the lumbar (lower back) region. Minimally invasive technique is implemented to perform the surgery.

Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) uses the latest advanced technology to treat back pain and neck pain caused by a variety of spinal conditions. Special surgical instruments, devices and advanced imaging techniques are used to visualize and perform the surgery through small incisions.

Motion Preservation Spinal Surgery

Motion preserving surgery is one of the novel surgical methods to treat painful spinal conditions and restore the movements of the spine.

Rhizolysis

RhizolysisFacet joints are pairs of small joints located on either side of your spine. They are one of the many structures that keep your spine stable and flexible allowing movements like bending and twisting. Sometimes these joints can become irritated and this leads to pain. Facet joints are supplied by the medial branch nerves and these nerves transmit the pain signals.

Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)

Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) was used as early as the 1930’s for the treatment of spondylolisthesis. Since then, the evolution of the technique and implants/equipment has allowed surgeons to adopt less invasive approaches to the anterior lumbar spine.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a new and highly specialised spine surgery program that often starts even before surgery. By combining the latest in surgical and anaesthetic techniques, specialised medications and multi-disciplinary care, the patient’s recovery is both smoother as well as quicker.

Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF or XLIF) And Pedicle Screw Fixation

In certain cases, a spinal fusion may be the recommended surgical procedure. The operation is used to join (fuse) together two or more vertebrae in the spine using a combination of screws, rods, and fusion devices with bone graft between the vertebrae.

Lumbar Arthroplasty

After first being attempted by Fernstromin the late 1950s, the initial results were promising However, long-term failure of the device attributed to the excessive compressive load into the bone resulted in subsidence and failure of the implant. In the early 1980s, Schellnack and Buttner-Janz revived the concept of an artificial disc with the design of the commercially distributed Charité™ disc.

Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (MIsTLIF) and Decompression

Minimally invasive spinal surgery has become the focus of spine surgeons. Whilst there are a lot of benefits to minimising the skin incision, the main goal of open surgery must still be the focus of the operation and achieved with new techniques

Posterior Lumbar Fusion (PLF) and Decompression

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) and Decompression

Revision Spine Surgery

A number of things can happen after surgery, either in the same area that has been operated on before, or a different area. These include a new disc herniation, worsening stenosis, instability (i.e. abnormal movement of one bone on another), deformity (such as ‘curved’ or ‘bent’ spine), as well as problems with the fusion. Sometimes more surgery (also known as revision surgery) might help.