Traditional Spine Surgery

The goals of spine surgery are relief of pain, removal of pressure over the nerves and spinal cord and stabilization of the spine in a corrected position.

These objectives are largely achieved by traditional open spine surgery which is the gold standard of treatment. These objectives are carrried out by typical midline incisions which expose the entire back or front of the spine and involve large incsions, significant blood loss and muscle trauma. These surgeries are still the bedrock of treatment for spinal deformity and tumours.

With the recent developments in minimally invasive spine surgery, some of the traditional operations have been supplanted by more patient friendly procedures which include key hole surgery. Patients must however be aware that the visualization of operated structures is unparalled through traditonal incision surgery and it still forms the gold standard of treatment.

My group carries out about 350 traditional  spine surgeries in one year and we believe that there is still a lot of scope for traditional surgery especially in the treatment of complex deformity, and tumours. Even for surgeries for low back pain about 30 percent of all procedures still need open decompression and fusion. Though there is a lot of glamour and prestige in small incision surgery, it may never completely replace the workhorse of traditional spine surgery.

MATHUR ORTHOPAEDICS AND SPINE CENTER