We use minimally invasive spine surgery for a broad range of procedures and the number of conditions that we can treat in this way continues to grow. Conditions include the following:

• Compression fractures occur most often in the thoracic and lumbar spines of elderly patients with osteoporosis. Compression fractures can cause acute back pain that gets worse when you stand.
• Congenital spinal disorders usually occur because of a genetic or developmental abnormality. They can affect any region of the spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacrum). We usually use surgery to stabilize the spine to allow for proper growth.
• Degenerative/arthritic disc disease and back pain, also known as “wear-and-tear” changes in the bones, ligaments, and discs of the spine, can lead to pain, weakness, or numbness.
• Herniated discs usually affect the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine. They stem from trauma or “wear-and-tear” changes. When you have a herniated disc, part of the disc bulges out of place and may put pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots, producing back and leg pain, weakness, or numbness.
• Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that can cause pain, decreased mobility, and heart and lung problems. Depending on the degree of curvature, we may need to perform surgery to realign your spine to improve your appearance and resolve pain, weakness, or shortness of breath.
• Spinal infections/osteomyelitis occur located in the vertebrae (bones), discs, or surrounding muscles of the spine. While we can often treat them with antibiotics, sometimes we need to do surgery to get rid of the infection.
• Spinal instability and spondylolisthesis happen when one vertebra “open” in front of another, which can cause severe back and leg pain.
• Spinal trauma can cause damage to bone, ligaments, and muscles, and can destabilize your spine and spinal cord. We may need to do surgery to stabilize the spine and prevent further injury.
• Spinal tumors can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous). Even if they do not have cancer, we often remove tumors because they can cause structural instability in the spine, leading to fractures. Spinal tumors can also put direct pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots, causing pain, weakness, or numbness.
• Spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal cord and roots in the neck and lower back become compressed.