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Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression
Les Payne
October 12, 2023
Presented by
Non-Surgical Treatment of Spinal Stenosis
Good Morning! This is The Field Guide to Back and Neck Pain, the newsletter to stay up to date on treatments and symptoms of back pain, neck pain and other chronic pain conditions. Welcome to all new readers! To those that have been here before, thank you, it’s so good to see you again.
Here is what you can expect from today’s edition:
What is Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression?
How Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression could help you
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What is Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression?
Minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD) is an outpatient procedure used to treat certain spinal conditions that cause compression of the lumbar spinal cord and nerves. It's a less invasive alternative to traditional open back surgery.
During MILD, a doctor uses specialized instruments and a tiny incision to access the spine. The goal of the procedure is to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves and spinal cord by removing a portion of the tissue that is causing the compression. This can be due to conditions such as spinal stenosis, where the spinal canal narrows and puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.
MILD is typically recommended for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and related symptoms such as lower back pain, decreased ability to stand and walk, leg pain, or numbness due to nerve compression.
Here are some advantages of MILD over traditional spine surgery:
Smaller Incision: The smaller incision reduces the risk of infection, scarring, and blood loss.
Faster Recovery: Patients generally experience a vastly quicker recovery time, without any hospital stays. Most are completed as outpatient procedures.
Less Pain: The procedure typically causes much less post-operative pain.
Preservation of Muscles and Tissues: Minimally invasive techniques aim to minimize damage to surrounding muscles and tissues, leading to better overall outcomes.
Keep reading to learn how the MILD procedure is performed. There is also a video that shows the MILD procedure in detail!
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How Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression Could Help You
Before we list some of the potential benefits of a MILD procedure, lets discuss how the procedure is done.
Anesthesia: The patient is usually given local anesthesia to numb the procedural area, but sometimes, general anesthesia may be used depending on the patient's condition and the doctor's preference.
Small Incision: Instead of making a large incision as in traditional open surgery, a small incision (usually less than one inch) is made in the patient's low back.
Imaging Guidance: Fluoroscopy (real-time X-ray) or other imaging techniques are used to help the doctor precisely locate the affected area of the spine.
Decompression: Small specialized instruments are inserted through the small incision. The doctor removes or trims the structures causing the compression, which may include ligament or tissue, in order to relieve pressure on the nerves and spinal cord.
Closure: Once the decompression is complete, the small incision is closed. This is often done with only adhesive strips or skin glue. Rarely are stitches or staples required.
Check out this video for a detailed explanation of the MILD procedure!
Here are some of the benefits you can expect to get from a MILD procedure:
Ability to stand and/or walk for longer periods of time and greater distances
Decreased low back pain
Decreased pain in the legs
Improvement of numbness and/or tingling in the legs
Pro Tip: Look for ligamentum flavum thickening or hypertrophy on your lumbar MRI report to see if you might be a candidate for the MILD procedure.
Ask your doctor if you are a candidate for the MILD procedure. They can discuss this procedure further with you and answer all of the questions you might have!
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About the Author
Les is an invaluable member of the team! He is the Lead Writer for the Field Guide to Back and Neck Pain newsletter. However, Les Payne is just a Pen Name to protect the identity of our expert Lead Writer who is an actively practicing, board-certified expert in the treatment and prevention of back and neck pain as well as other acute and chronic pain conditions. He has years of experience in this field and has treated over 15,000 patients with pain of all kinds!
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