Can Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Help for Spondylolisthesis?
Can Minimally Invasive Spine (laser)Surgery Help for Spondylolisthesis? Has anyone had this done and knows if it helps?
Best answer:
Answer by Kristabelle
I have spondylolisthesis and two herniated discs at L5 and S1. The spine doc I saw (who was lovely BTW) told me the only operation available to me was huge – it meant cutting open my back, sawing through two vertebrae, trimming the problem discs and putting the whole lot back together with titanium rods and screws … needless to say I was more than a little alarmed when he turned to me and said, “If you were my wife, I would NOT want you to have that operation.”
What is the laser surgery? I’ve never heard of it!
Good luck with whatever you decide =)
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Minimally invasive surgery for spondylolisthesis can be done but more commonly open procedures are done for that. There is some debate on when each might be appropriate and the equation will include the specifics of your medical background, your symptoms, and your desires.
HOWEVER, the inclusion of “laser” in the mix is a major red flag for me. I am VERY skeptical of this form of minimally invasive spine surgery and there is no evidence that use of a laser has any benefit over standard minimally invasive techniques. In addition, the “laser spine centers” often do not take insurance and charge very high fees.
At very least, get a second opinion from a spine surgery specialist who does not use lasers to ask these questions. There is also a fair amount of info on the web you can access on your own.
spondylolisthesis is a slipping of one vertebra out of line with the others. If you have osteophytes, or a small spinal canal, this pinches the spinal cord or nerve root bundle ( depending on the level) . When this happens you get pseudoclaudication- pain going down the legs after walking . Stopping and standing still does not relive the pain, as it does in true claudication (vascular disease)- you have to take the nerves off stretch by sitting down. Minimally invasive surgery may handle the discs, but would not do anything for spondylolisthesis. Whether or not you need surgery depends on the symptoms you are having.A lot of herniated discs are asymptomatic- they have dessicated and pulled back off the nerve root. The rule is the symptoms have to match the anatomy. In other words, if you have an L5-S1 disc, you have to have the weakness, sensory change and reflex changes of an S1 root problem. You do not operate on anatomic changes. That may be why the surgeon did not want to.-you are not having enough trouble. I have been through the posterior laminectomy, fusion, and posterior instrumentation ( that’t what they call the screws and connecting rods). At the time I could walk about 20 feet before I got pain, and was getting atrophy of some muscles. Worst pain I have had in my life. THe first 2 days post op are truly memorable. BUT now I am walking just fine. Left leg still a little weak, but walking. When it’s bad enough, go for it. Meanwhile get into Physical Therapy with some lumbar stabilization exercises to help prevent further slippage.
Good luck.