Laser Spine Surgery
Laser spine surgery plays a very limited role in the world of spine care, but it is an exciting sounding option which catches a lot of attention. Many patients find the ads for these operations attractive and the promises offered by some centers hard to ignore.
So, is Laser Spine Surgery for you? Here's what you should know -
Even in centers that market laser surgery, the laser itself is only used in rare cases - less than 5% by one report.
When it is used, there is no evidence that it improves the results for any group of patients, and there is concerning evidence that the results are actually worse than those obtained using more standard minimally invasive methods: In one comparison study, 21% of patients treated with traditional microdiscectomy did need some form of revision surgery down the road, but in the same center more than half (52%) of patients treated with laser discectomy needed a reoperation.
Complications with laser surgery are also concerning. The enormous heat generated by the laser poses a real threat to the nerves and soft tissues that lay close to the disc itself, including the nerves and vessels close to the spinal column.
Since there have been no studies published in any medically recognized journals that could demonstrate an advantage of laser surgery over our best, more traditional, microsurgical techniques, and because complications can be severe, I do not recommend laser treatment in any of the surgical cases I perform. Both the North American Spine Society and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health recommend against laser spine surgery.
So, is Laser Spine Surgery for you? Here's what you should know -
Even in centers that market laser surgery, the laser itself is only used in rare cases - less than 5% by one report.
When it is used, there is no evidence that it improves the results for any group of patients, and there is concerning evidence that the results are actually worse than those obtained using more standard minimally invasive methods: In one comparison study, 21% of patients treated with traditional microdiscectomy did need some form of revision surgery down the road, but in the same center more than half (52%) of patients treated with laser discectomy needed a reoperation.
Complications with laser surgery are also concerning. The enormous heat generated by the laser poses a real threat to the nerves and soft tissues that lay close to the disc itself, including the nerves and vessels close to the spinal column.
Since there have been no studies published in any medically recognized journals that could demonstrate an advantage of laser surgery over our best, more traditional, microsurgical techniques, and because complications can be severe, I do not recommend laser treatment in any of the surgical cases I perform. Both the North American Spine Society and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health recommend against laser spine surgery.