Patient Resources

What is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
What Conditions Can Be Treated With MIS?
What Are the Current MIS Treatments?
Where Can I Find a Physician Who Treats With MIS?

What Is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

Using innovative techniques, cutting-edge technology, and evidence-based medicine, minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) may be a treatment option for your spinal disorder or chronic back and neck pain.

Compared to traditional open spine surgery, minimally invasive spine surgery utilizes the knowledge of important anatomy, along with cutting-edge technology, to treat your spinal condition without causing undue injury to the surrounding soft tissues. Computer-assisted technology (such as computer navigation and nerve monitoring) and highly specialized tools and instrumentation provide for the safe and effective treatment of your pain.

Advantages of MIS include:

• Less post-operative pain
• Quicker recovery
• Reduced blood loss
• Less soft tissue damage
• Smaller surgical incisions
• Less scarring
• Improved function

What Conditions Can Be Treated With MIS?

Minimally invasive spine surgery is used to treat a variety of spinal disorders and conditions, including but not limited to the list below. Links open pages on SpineUniverse.com, the leading Web site for back and spine health information.

• Back pain (lumbar pain)
• Neck pain (cervical pain)
• Sciatica
• Herniated discs
• Spinal stenosis
• Scoliosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spine fractures
• Infection
• Tumors

What Are the Current MIS Treatments?

There is a rapid increase in technology that allows the MIS physician to treat patients with minimally invasive procedures. Some of these techniques are now well established, while others remain new and continue to evolve. The best MIS technique will depend on the specific character of the problem. While the list of MIS techniques continue to expand, the most commonly employed today include:

• MIS Tubular microdiscetomy
• MIS Lumbar Laminectomy
• Cervical laminoforaminotomy
• Endoscopic Discectomy
• MIS TLIF
• MIS DLIF/XLIF
• Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Instrumentation
• TranS1

Where Can I Find a Physician Who Treats With MIS?

Active members of the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS) are board certified orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons with known expertise in minimally invasive spine surgery. Each member is nominated by an established MIS colleague and their membership approved by the Society Board of Directors comprised of the world experts in minimally invasive spine surgery. Each member must maintain ongoing training and make scientific contributions to the field of spine surgery.

Browse our list of members here.