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Cervical Microforaminotomy Surgery
Relevant information about Cervical Microforaminotomy Surgery.
Cervical Microforaminotomy is a spinal column surgery done in replacement of the traditional open cervical spinal surgery. It is performed on patients suffering from Spinal Degenerative Disease with spinal nerve compression or from spinal disc herniation and bone spurs. This procedure allows the physician to relieve the symptoms of a pinched nerve by using a small poke-hole incision. This is done by enlarging the neural foramen and removing the piece of spinal disc that is pinching the nerve. Cervical Microforaminotomy is now preferred because it can be performed in less time, with less tissue damage, and less pain than the rest of similar procedures.
This type of spinal surgery is done to relieve the symptoms caused by a pinched nerve from the neural foramen. The neural foramen is a canal located between every pair of spinal column vertebrae that allows the spinal nerves to pass. When a spinal disc begins pressing on a part of this canal, it can cause neck pain, stiffness, and numbness and weakness in the arms or hands. Two are the most frequent causes for the spinal disc pressing the nerve. One is a Spinal Degenerative Disease with spinal nerve compression; the other, is a spinal disc herniation. In addition, a failed spinal column surgery where the disc has collapsed usually requires a Cervical Microforaminotomy.
The patient is putted lying face down on the operating table. A small incision is made down the middle of the back of the neck. The skin, muscles and soft tissues are separated on the side where the spinal nerves are compressed. To magnify the operated area, a surgical microscope is used during the procedure. Next, a small metal tube of about 4mm is inserted to the neural foramen through the disc under X-ray guidance. Micro instruments are used to open this nerve canal. Then, in order to achieve nerve decompression, spinal disc fragments, bone spurs and the scars present in the neural foramen are removed. After the removal has been done, the damaged disc is treated with laser. Laser vaporizes part of the spinal disc and hardens the rest of the disc to prevent leakage of disc material to the surrounding nerves. Also, during this process, the pain nerves are killed. Finally, the metal tube is removed and the neural foramen is closed, then the muscles and soft tissues are put back in place, and the skin is stitched together.
During the post- surgery process the patient wears a soft collar for the first 2 weeks. After staying at the hospital for a period of time between 3 and 5 days, the patient may return home. Driving may be done again within a week or two. Light work can be done after four weeks and heavier work and sports within two to three months. Physical therapy is usually prescribed when patients have extra pain or show significant muscle weakness. However, symptoms like arm numbness tend to persist for several months after the surgery.
There are two possible complications for this type of spinal surgery. Nerve damage is the first one because it can happen during the procedure. Any surgery that is done near the neural foramen can damage the spinal cord or the spinal nerves. Injury may occur when a surgical instrument damages one of the nerves from the zone. Consequence of this is muscle weakness and loss of sensation to the areas supplied by the damaged nerve. The second complication that may happen is ongoing pain after the surgery. This varies from case to case, but it is known that some patients are not totally relieved from the pain. An additional problem that may cause ongoing pain is an infection of the bones and the soft tissues of spinal column. This usually requires another operation, but tends to be a rare complication.
The procedure usually relieves the pain and allows the patient to continue his normal activity.
Cervical Microforaminotomy may not totally solve problems like Degenerative Disc Disease. In some patients the pain tends to continue.
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