In the past, the mere prospect of undergoing surgery made it difficult to face. That’s because surgery often required large incisions that came with pain, the risk of infection, and lengthy recovery times. But now, even complex conditions can benefit from minimally invasive surgical approaches.
After graduating from Yale University Medical School of Medicine, Dr. Arien Smith went on to complete a neurosurgical residency and an orthopedic complex spine fellowship. He brings this unique combination of subspecialty training to the Brain and Spine Institute of New York and New Jersey.
He also performs surgical procedures at top-tier hospitals in the area. Here are some advantages you can expect with minimally invasive surgery.
What makes a procedure “minimally invasive” are the incisions required. Unlike traditional open surgery methods, in which the surgeon makes a large incision to access the surgical site, minimally invasive techniques use smaller cuts, a tiny camera, and special surgical tools.
Examples of minimally invasive surgeries include:
These methods allow Dr. Smith to perform the same surgical procedures, but he causes far less trauma to the area, resulting in less tissue damage and scarring.
Smaller incisions also mean fewer risks of complications, including blood loss and infection. In fact, surgical site infections are the most common cause of hospital-acquired infection, affecting 2%-5% of people undergoing inpatient surgery.
However, minimally invasive surgeries come with significantly lower risks of infection at the surgical site, making them far safer than traditional methods.
When you have smaller incisions, you also have shorter hospital stays. Sometimes, you can even go home the same day as your surgery or within 23 hours. But it doesn’t stop there.
Minimally invasive procedures also come with faster recovery times, largely because your body sustains less trauma than traditional approaches. The result? You can usually expect to be on the road to recovery within a matter of days or weeks of minimally invasive surgery, instead of a few months following a traditional procedure.
Also good news with minimally invasive surgery, recovery usually comes with less pain and decreased need for narcotic medications.
Whenever possible, Dr. Smith tries to resolve brain and spinal conditions with conservative techniques, like physical therapy, medication, or targeted injections. However, minimally invasive surgery can resolve persistent pain or dysfunction when other treatments fail.
Conditions that can benefit from minimally invasive surgery include:
Dr. Smith can also treat certain brain or spinal tumors using minimally invasive surgical techniques.
Are you ready to learn more about the advantages of minimally invasive surgery? Contact the Brain and Spine Institute of New York and New Jersey office nearest you by calling or booking an appointment online today.
