What's New With Spinal Surgery?

Spinal surgery isn't what it used to be. Less invasive approaches focus on preserving natural motion, reducing pain after surgery and speeding recovery. Ammar Hawasli, MD, PhD, a neurosurgeon with Meritas Health Neurosurgery, recently shared his insights during a Lunch and Learn on "What's New With Spinal Surgery?" Here are his top takeaways.

Top 5 Takeaways

1. Modern spinal surgery treatment requires several factors, including patient-centric medical care. By tailoring care to each patient, the neurosurgeon addresses the patient's main issues and goals. This also entails a critical office assessment and understanding of all the patient's complaints.
2. In addition to the patient and spine surgery professionals, the team of caregivers includes several specialties:
• Primary care
• Nontraditional medicine
• Neurology
• Pain management
• Physical therapy
• Bariatric wellness
• Radiology
3. By providing evidence-based treatment and up-to-date interventions, patients have improved care and recovery, such as through enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). ERAS helps bring patients to normal function earlier than current standards. This done by minimizing the use of narcotics for pain management, optimizing preoperative and postoperative nutrition, and promoting early mobility after surgery.
4. Innovations in spine surgery include motion-preserving, minimally-invasive and image-guided surgery, as well as restoration of spinal alignment.
5. These innovations include:
• Disc replacement technologies
• Laminoplasty, a surgical procedure to enlarge the spine
• Low-back fusion alternatives
• Minimally-invasive surgery
• Stereotactic guidance, which uses robotic surgery and 3D imaging to map the location of tumors and lesions

NKCH Resources

The neurosurgeons at Meritas Health Neurosurgery can help diagnosis spinal and other neurological conditions. Your PCP may refer you to a neurosurgical specialist.

Watch Dr. Hawasli's presentation.

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Amy Bennett

Amy Bennett is the physician communications coordinator for North Kansas City Hospital. She is editor of Physician Connections, and she writes brochure, web and other communication pieces for North Kansas City Hospital and Meritas Health. In her spare time, she is often working in her flower garden or volunteering with the Girl Scouts or Pet Partners, a pet therapy organization.