When you face back or neck surgery, you will likely hear about two different methods. These choices are minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) and traditional open spine surgery. Both methods have the same main goal. They aim to relieve pain and help you move better. However, they use very different paths to reach your spine.

Learning how these surgeries work can help you talk with your doctor and make the best decision for your health.

Traditional open surgery is the standard method doctors have used for many decades. In this procedure, the surgeon makes one long cut down your back or neck. This incision is usually three to six inches long, but it can be longer if needed.

The large opening allows the doctor to see your spine directly with their own eyes. They can easily touch the bones, discs, and nerves. This clear, wide view makes it easier to work on large or complex problems.

To see the spine clearly, the surgeon must pull the surrounding muscles and tissues out of the way. Sometimes, these muscles must be cut or detached from the bone. Because the muscles undergo significant pulling and cutting, they take a long time to heal after the operation.

Minimally invasive spine surgery, or MISS, is a newer approach designed to protect your body’s tissues. Instead of making a large cut, the surgeon makes one or more tiny incisions. Each small cut is often less than an inch long.

Because the openings are too small to see inside directly, surgeons use special tools. They insert a small tube called a tubular retractor https://drarthurchou.com/ into the tiny cut. This tube gently pushes the muscles aside instead of cutting them. The surgeon then drops tiny cameras, lights, and surgical instruments down the tube to perform the repair. They watch their progress on a video monitor in the operating room.

The biggest benefit of MISS is that it leaves the surrounding muscles mostly untouched. Since the muscles are only pushed apart rather than cut open, patients usually experience far less trauma to their bodies.