What Services are Provided by Orthopedic Surgeons?

Orthopedic surgeons treat people of all ages for the full range of conditions that can affect your musculoskeletal system. While they’re extensively trained and experienced in surgery, they also provide many types of nonsurgical treatments, from medication to specialized joint or muscle injections for pain relief.

Besides performing spinal surgery, the team at South Texas Spinal Clinic also manages a physical therapy and rehabilitation center, which provides the services you need to relieve pain, rebuild strength, improve functioning, and promote your recovery from injuries and surgery.

What are the Different Types of Orthopedic Surgery?

As spine specialists, the orthopedic surgeons at South Texas Spinal Clinic commonly perform surgeries such as:

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion : When a ruptured disc in your cervical spine (neck) compresses your nerves, an anterior cervical fusion may relieve the pressure and alleviate your pain. During this procedure, your surgeon accesses the spine through a small incision in the front of your neck, then removes the damaged disc and replaces it with a small piece of bone. The bone graft, which can come from a bone bank or perhaps from your hip, gradually fuses with the adjoining vertebrae.

Lumbar Laminectomy : When the nerves in your lower back, or lumbar spine, are compressed, a lumbar laminectomy may alleviate the problem. Your surgeon removes the lamina — the flat portion of the vertebrae that covers the nerve — which relieves the pressure affecting your nerves.

Lumbar Microendoscopic Discectomy : Performed using an operating microscope and specialized microsurgical techniques, this procedure removes the small portion of a ruptured or herniated disc that’s pinching the nerve.

What is Minimally Invasive Surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery involves using several small incisions and specially designed surgical instruments contained in long, thin tubes that are inserted through the incisions. The key piece of equipment — an endoscope — contains a video camera that gives your surgeon a magnified and three-dimensional view of the surgical area.

The benefits of minimally invasive surgery include:

Quicker healing and recovery

Less blood loss

Minimal scarring

Less trauma to your body

The surgeons at South Texas Spinal Clinic also perform robot-assisted surgery, a minimally invasive surgery in which the surgeon operates using controllers that move four robotic arms.

Advanced robotic systems improve on human capabilities. They fit into small spaces without damaging the surrounding tissues, and they allow a range of motion that surpasses the ability of human hands.