@amberrose I don't know if minimally invasive surgery is possible for decompression of the spinal cord. They have to be able to remove ostheophytes after removing the disc that is bad in order to gain access to the spinal canal. If it isn't a bad disc causing stenosis, they may be expanding the space inside the spinal canal by cutting and moving part of the vertebrae outward. Those discs are about an inch in diameter. With minimally invasive surgery, I believe the surgeon inserts a tiny tube to push the instruments through and it would limit access to being able to see the entire area internally. They have to make sure not to touch or move the spinal cord during surgery so as not to damage it.

I had this surgery at Mayo which was not minimally invasive for a bad C5/C6 disc with osteophytes and spinal cord compression. It wasn't that bad of a recovery. Most post surgical pain is in the first 2-3 weeks, and by 6 weeks, the incision is healed and I was feeling pretty good. At 3 months, the fusion process had started and I was able to forget I had spine surgery. I was in rehab because my neck muscles were weak after 3 months in a hard collar. I chose to do that because I could avoid having hardware on my spine entirely by staying in a collar until it fused. I had only a donor bone spacer. Often with hardware, surgeons may place a plate on the front of the spine to stabilize it. They probably cannot do that with minimally invasive procedures because they have to be able to screw it in place to connect 2 or more vertebrae in front. Only a surgeon can really answer that question.

I had an excellent surgeon and great results which is what brought me to Mayo Clinic as a patient. The skills of the surgeon are very important in the outcome of the procedure, so chose the very best you can. My surgeon was Jeremy Fogelson at Mayo in Rochester. I would recommend him if you are looking for a highly skilled compassionate doctor with extensive knowledge of spinal deformity. He does both fusion and artificial disc surgeries which is good to know if you are trying to decide between those procedures. Some surgeons only do fusions, etc.

Are you considering care at Mayo Clinic? You may use this link to contact any of the Mayo Clinic campuses to request an appointment. http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63

What recommendations have you had so far from your surgical consults?

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