Interventional procedures involve a minimally invasive operation. The surgeon inserts a long needle through a tiny incision in the skin and advances it to the spine in order to carry out the procedure. This approach is called percutaneous. A special real-time X-ray called fluoroscopy is used to guide the surgeon.

As with all major surgical procedures, complications can occur. The nurse has prepared you for some of the most common complications following fusion. Other less common adverse responses can include a reaction to the anesthesia or other drugs, infection (skin or deep), and nerve damage to the voice box with anterior (from the front of the spine) cervical spine fusion.

A spinal cord stimulator, also called a dorsal column stimulator, is an implanted electronic device used to help treat chronic pain. They have been used for over 30 years. The device delivers a low level electrical current through wires. The wires are placed in the area near your spinal cord. The device is similar in size to a pacemaker.

For over 30 years now, doctors have used spinal cord stimulation (SCS), also called neurostimulation, to help relieve chronic neuropathic (nerve) pain. A stimulator is implanted into the patient's body, which then sends out impulses to interrupt the pain signals and prevent them from reaching the brain.

Minimally invasive spine surgery means the surgeon makes a very small incision and there is as little disruption of the underlying soft tissues as possible. They can do this now because special surgical instruments have been developed just for MISS. Intraoperative microscopes, fluoroscopes (real-time X-rays), and tube-based instruments make it all possible.

Back pain is much more episodic than cancer with a much higher risk of recurrence. In other words, many adults suffer from back pain many times over the course of a lifetime. With cancer, the hope is that anyone diagnosed with cancer will only have it once. Following cancer treatment, the goal is cure, meaning no return or recurrence of the disease.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of growth factors and proteins known for their ability to start the formation of bone and cartilage. Demineralized bone with BMPs are commonly used to augment available bone graft in spinal fusion procedures.

Surgeons can choose from several commercially available human demineralized bone matrix product formulations. But studies show there can be quite a range of variability in these commercially available bone matrices products.

Have you ever heard of therapeutic proteins? You probably have without knowing it because insulin is a therapeutic protein. People who are missing important proteins like insulin develop problems like diabetes. They can be treated with exogenous (coming from outside the person's own body) proteins such as insulin made from animal (or human) sources.

All indications are that the more time people are off from work before spinal fusion, the worse their outcomes after surgery. Patients are being encouraged to remain as active as possible up to the point of surgery including staying at work.

Removing giant cell tumors of the sacrum (bone at the base of the spine) can be dicey work. Taking the entire sacrum and tumor can leave the patient with unpleasant changes in bowel and bladder function due to nerve damage. But anything less can mean the tumor will come back. If the sacral nerve roots aren't removed, tiny tumor cells left behind may cause tumor recurrence.