Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery
Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery describes any procedure that is less invasive than an open surgery used for the same purpose and is redefining the field of surgery. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures usually involve laparoscopic devices and remote-controlled manipulation of surgical instruments with the observation of the surgical field through a scope, either micro or endo.
Benefits
Less Pain
Minimally invasive neurosurgeries are proven to cause less post-operative pain and discomfort and patients report decreased usage of post-operative pain relievers
Shortened Hospital Stay
Patients who have a surgery that is considered minimally invasive experience less trauma to the surgical area, which means they can return to normal activity and leave the hospital sooner.
Small Incision
Because of the small incision needed by MIS, there is decreased risk of incisional infection, and patients are left with much smaller scars than with traditional open neurosurgery.
Muscle Sparing
In spinal surgeries, MIS techniques allow the muscle to be retracted or pulled to the side instead of cut through to reach the operative site. This sparing of the muscle tissue allows patients to recover much quicker and experience far less pain post-operatively.
Accuracy
The video-assisted equipment techniques used in MIS provide a surgeon with better visualization and magnification of the brain and spine during surgery. This translates into more accurate and effective procedures.
In minimally invasive neurosurgeries of the brain, neurosurgeons use endoscopes with thin pieces of tubing that provided detailed video images of the brain and its structures through an incision only as wide as your thumb. Smaller instruments that can cut, retrieve or destroy abnormal tissues or tumors can then be passed through the endoscopic tubes allowing intricate surgery to be performed with little or no trauma to the surrounding areas.