ASK Dr Chin
Q:My mother is in her late 80’s. She’s generally healthy and sharp, but she has a very bad back. I hate to see her in pain, and yet I fear she is too old for surgery. What can we do?
You are correct that traditional spinal surgery is often worse than the disease it is meant to treat.
Even when the spine has degenerated so greatly over the years, traditional surgery involves such a large loss of blood and long recovery time—not to mention more pain—that it often isn’t worth it for the older population. But many patients don’t know about new minimally invasive techniques in spinal surgery that can provide great pain relief at any age, without the same traditional downsides.
As the Founder of the Institute for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, I have developed and patented new devices and techniques for performing surgery on degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, and scoliosis that are safe even for patients in their 90’s. With a minimally invasive, lateral approach to the spine— versus the traditional method that involves cutting through the muscles of the back to reach the spine— the surgery I perform requires very small incisions and has significantly less pain and faster recovery time.
For example, we can use a system I’ve created that allows surgeons to stabilize the spine with screws and rods using minimally invasive techniques. I recently invented a different device that was FDA cleared in 2008 and now decreases the number of screws and rods needed in a procedure. These new minimally invasive techniques and devices are being used worldwide and are making it possible and safe for me to do spinal surgery on young patients and even patients over 90 years, providing relief from pain and increasing their mobility for an improved quality of life.
Absolutely. As we age our spine degenerates, and sometimes traditional surgery only makes matters worse. The large amount of blood loss and long recovery time often isn’t worth it for the older population.
Thankfully, we live in an age where we’re discovering new minimally invasive surgery techniques.
I founded the Institute for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery to develop new surgery techniques that alleviate pain and suffering caused by degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, scoliosis and spinal stenosis in a minimally invasive way. These methods are safe and effective for both young and elderly patients.
I have treated patients using the new FacetFuse implant. This FDA approved device relieves severe back and leg pain by fusing two vertebrae together using only two screws. These screws eliminate the movement that causes pain. The FacetFuse is implanted though a minimally invasive surgical technique, or if necessary, an open surgical approach.
By minimal, I mean an incision at times less than two centimeters long! Unlike gaping incisions made during traditional spine surgery, my technique is even effective for older patients because there’s less blood loss, it heals faster and patients report less pain after surgery. I recently implanted a 93-year-old patient who had severe low back pain even when sitting and now she has no more back pain after fusion using multiple FacetFuse devices. I truly believe patients of any age, including you, could benefit from this device and the multiple treatments offered at iMISsurgery.
