TRADITIONAL OPEN SPINE SURGERY

During traditional open surgery, the surgeon makes an incision that is 5 to 6 inches long, then moves the muscles to the side to better see the spine. With the muscles pulled to the side, the surgeon can:

• Access the spine to remove dis-eased and damaged bone or intervertebral disks.
• Easily see where to place screws, cages, and any bone graft materials necessary to stabilize the spinal bones and promote healing. 

One of the major drawbacks of open surgery is a result from the pulling or "retraction" of the muscle. The retraction can damage both the muscle and the surrounding soft tissue. Although the objective of muscle retraction is to help the surgeon see the problem area, it typically compromises more anatomy than the surgeon requires. The pulling during surgery may result in muscle injury, and post operative pain that is different from the back pain felt before surgery. The larger incision and damage to surrounding soft tissues may also increase blood loss, the risk for infection and length of recovery.