Endoscopic surgery reduces postoperative discomfort and recovery time

Oct 14 2009

Endoscopic surgery has steadily gained in popularity since it was developed in the 1980s. Dr. Richard Siegfried has teamed with Dr. Louis Quartararo one of only a handful of surgeons who have been trained to perform endoscopic surgery on the spine.

Drs. Siegfried and Quartararo perform endoscopic spine surgery using a video telescope and miniaturized instruments through a tiny incision. By minimizing the disturbance to surrounding tissue, postoperative discomfort is reduced and recovery time dramatically shortened.

Dr. Siegfried says, "We've had patients who've been out of work for six months to a year-and-a-half who've been able to return to work. We've had patients who were on narcotic painkillers who are off their medications and have really gotten their life back."

The Endoscopic Microdiscectomy procedure removes a tiny portion of the disc in the spine so that the disc is no longer pressing on the nerve root. Rather than creating a 3-inch or larger incision, as would be the case in traditional surgery, this procedure is performed through a tiny 1/2-inch incision. The combination of a miniaturized video camera, live x-rays and sophisticated neurological monitoring guides the surgeon so he can successfully remove a tiny piece of the disc without cutting surrounding nerves, muscle and bone. The patient goes home within a few hours with one or two band-aids on their back.

Drs. Quartararo and Siegfried also offer another form of miniaturized surgery called Endoscopic Lumbar Fusion. This newer procedure has only been around for a few years. It is recommended for patients with disc disease who have back pain with or without leg pain. Traditional lumbar fusion surgery would require an 8- to 10-inch incision and would involve significant post-operative pain. But with endoscopic surgery, there are only two incisions that are 2-1/2 inches in length on either side of the spine for a bar to hold the spine in place during healing. Rather than a 4- to 5-day hospital stay, the patient can go home between 12 and 23 hours after the procedure.

"I am very fortunate to work with a surgeon who has performed hundreds of these procedures and studied under the physician who invented the surgery," Dr. Siegfried says. Dr. Quartararo heads the endoscopic surgery team. He is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon with advanced training in the fields of Orthopedic Trauma and Spine Surgery from the prestigious John Hopkins University. Dr. Siegfried is a board-certified pain management specialist and former Director of The Pain Management Center at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York.

But Dr. Siegfried cautions, "The important thing to remember when it comes to this specialized type of surgery is that it requires training not only in endoscopic surgery but also in spine surgery. Patients should ensure that their physician has credentials in both areas. In the absence of a trained Spine Surgeon on the team, the patient is at great risk in the unlikely event of a complication during or after surgery."

With every new procedure that comes along, Dr. Siegfried says he has more to offer patients who in the past would have no hope for pain relief. "I went into this field to help people. For the right patients, endoscopic spine surgery can make a remarkable difference. We have successfully performed surgery on patients who have been turned away by other surgeons with no hope whatsoever. Being able to offer this type of pain relief is extremely rewarding."