500,000 spine operations are performed every year in this country to address back pain. Common causes of back pain include degenerative disc disease (herniated discs, slipped discs, spinal stenosis), spinal deformity, spinal trauma and tumors.
These surgeries can range from simple back surgery for a lumbar disc to more complex surgery, such as lumbar spine fusion surgery. While lumbar spine surgery makes up a minority of all operations, it helps to know the benefits that newer, minimally invasive techniques can deliver.
Dr. James Doty, director of the El Camino Hospital Neuroscience Institute, covers the following informative topics in this video about minimally invasive lumbar spine fusion surgery for serious back pain:
- Conditions treated by lumbar spinal surgery
- New, minimally invasive approaches to lumbar spine fusion
- Typical recovery from minimally invasive lumbar fusion
- Success rates for lumbar fusion
- Finding the right surgeon for you
- Patient success stories