I've heard that more and more back surgery is done without even cutting open the spine. How does this compare to the old way of doing back surgery?

Taking out a herniated disc is the most common type of back surgery today. The direct cost of treating disc-related back pain is more than 20 billion dollars a year. A minimally invasive method of treatment was started in order to reduce the dangers and cost of back surgery.

Instead of a large incision to open the spine and allow the surgeon to see what he or she is doing, a small opening is made. A long, thin needle is then inserted. A tiny TV camera on the end of the needle sends a picture to a TV screen. This shows the surgeon everything inside the area.

It's done on an outpatient basis meaning the patient goes home the same day. This compares to a three-to-four day inpatient stay for the standard surgery.

The patient has very little pain after the operation so the need for pain medication is less than in the traditional surgery.

Patients can often return to normal daily activities, including work, in two weeks. It can take up to six weeks to reach this level of recovery after the standard surgery.

One advantage of the traditional operation with an open incision is the amount of disc material that can be removed. With open surgery there's no limit to how much material can be taken out. There is a physical limit to how much can be removed using inimally invasive methods.