Quote:
Originally Posted by B13s
Micro means using microscope  And incision is quite small - ~ 2cm - you cannot really call it open-back. |
With a microscopic procedure, they are still needing to create wide access to the canal area. While the incision is small, there is a difference in the collateral damage that is done compared to an endoscopic procedure. I've observed many of both types of discectomies and the difference is pretty dramatic.
Note that there are trade-off and that micro-d surgeons will say that they can see better and accomplish more effective decompression.
I wonder if I'd be in better shape if I'd had endoscopic procedures instead of the 2 microdiscectomies I had prior to my ADR surgery.
For Diane's (my wife's) discectomy, we went to Hoogland at the AK and he did an excellent job decompressing a disc bulge that others would not consider doing endoscopically. While that surgery was successful in accomplishing what it was designed to do... she had a great recovery and continued to improve for 2.5 months. Unfortunately, the disc was too severely compromised and she went south again and ultimately had 2-level ProDisc with Bertagnoli last March. With her apparent success from her ADR procedure, we wonder how much better off she is having gone endoscopic instead of open?
Mark