Dr. Georgios Bastardis, MD, PhD, Spine Surgeon, informs us
Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic Spine Surgery treats all spine diseases with advanced techniques. With small skin incisions (~1 cm) and the use of micro techniques under magnification. This avoids bleeding and minimizes the destruction of the adjacent tissues, achieving a perfect surgical result.
It includes techniques such as:
- Epidural injection, transforaminal injection into the nerve roots exiting the vertebral foramina, blocking of the posterior joints (Facet Joints) and sympathetic plexus injections are performed under fluoroscopic guidance along the length of the spine and under local anesthesia.
- The thermal or chemical sublimation of the core of the intervertebral disc (discoplasty).
- Endoscopic treatment:
- Removal of the herniated disc as well as plasty of this annulus fibrosus, in order to minimize post-operative pain and complications.
- Rhizotomy for pain in the lower back (back pain) originating from arthritis or inflammation of the posterior joints of the spine (Facet Joints) by denervating with the help of laser or special diathermy the collateral nerve branches responsible for causing the pain.
- Decompression with thyridization or hemipetalectomy in cases such as central spinal stenosis.
- Foraminaplasty, i.e. opening-widening of the foramen and decompression of the neural structures in lateral-foraminal stenosis.
- Endoscopic spinal fusion.
Stable fractures of the spine due to an injury or an automatic mechanism due to stress on the spine and some accompanying pathology such as osteoporosis or other diseases are treated with percutaneous kyphoplasty, i.e. internal reduction and stabilization of the fractures percutaneously with the intraoperative use of a special fluoroscopic C-arm without the need for transfusion, while the patient can walk without support immediately postoperatively.
In case the patient needs a wider decompression in the spine for some reason, decompression is performed percutaneously, minimally invasively or endoscopically, as well as percutaneous spinal fusion, i.e. the placement of screws and intervertebral cages to stabilize the spine with the intraoperative use of a specialist fluoroscopic C-arm as well as/or with the use when a special navigator O-arm or Robot guidance is needed.
Many of the above techniques are performed with local anesthesia. Thus, the patient leaves the hospital usually on the same day, i.e. a few hours after the operation, returning to his usual activities as soon as possible.
The Endoscopic and Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Clinic of IASO General Clinic, with Dr. Georgios Bastardi, MD, PhD, is a certified Center of Excellence in the field of Endoscopic and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and an international training center in innovative endoscopic and minimally invasive techniques of spine surgeons, with participation from spine surgeons worldwide.
Dr. Bastardis, MD, PhD, is among the leading international instructors of Endoscopic Spine Surgery (International Instructor for Full Endoscopic Spine Surgery) and continues to pioneer in the field of Endoscopic and Minimally Invasive Surgery.
