Modern medical technology breakthroughs allow surgeons to minimize the size of the surgical incision when performing spine surgeries. This advanced technique, called minimally invasive spine surgery or MISS, helps surgeons avoid significant damage to the muscles and soft tissue surrounding the spine.
With traditional, or open spine surgery, the surgeon makes a five- to six-inch long incision in the back and moves the muscles and tissue out of the way to expose the area of operation. This type of ‘open’ surgery can prolong recovery times and may cause damage to the back muscles.
MISS incisions are around 50% smaller than traditional incisions. The smaller incision reduces muscle damage, reduces bleeding, reduces pain after surgery, and shortens stays in the hospital and speeds recovery.1
While everyone’s post-operative length of stay is different, the typical stay after MISS is around two to three days. How long it will take to return to normal activities will depend upon your individual condition and procedure. Your doctor will evaluate you after surgery and maintain close follow-up to make sure that you are recovering as planned.
