Back Pain

When is surgery a good choice for back pain?

Surgery may be an option for back pain depending on your diagnosis, past treatments, and neurological examination. 

If you have back pain that isn't responding to non-surgical management, surgery (especially minimally invasive, outpatient spinal surgery) might be the right choice.

Before committing to surgery, Dr. Shukairy may suggest some alternative treatments. He specializes in outpatient spine surgery, which uses minimally invasive techniques to reduce recovery times and enhance surgical outcomes. 

What advanced treatment options are there for back pain?

Dr. Shukairy can perform several advanced options for back pain, including:

Ultra Minimally Invasive Surgery

Ultra minimally invasive surgery represents the latest advancement in back pain treatment, offering patients faster recovery times, less postoperative discomfort, and minimal scarring. By utilizing cutting-edge technology and precise imaging, Dr. Shukairy can address complex spinal conditions through the smallest possible incisions, ensuring a smooth, outpatient experience and quicker return to daily activities with fewer complications.

Endoscopic Spine Surgery

Dr. Shukairy specializes in endoscopic spinal surgery, a highly advanced technique that utilizes a tiny camera and specialized instruments to treat spinal conditions with minimal disruption to the surrounding tissues. This approach allows for smaller incisions, reduced scarring, and faster recovery times compared to traditional surgery, making it an excellent option for patients seeking relief from chronic back pain with less downtime.

Disc Replacement Surgery

Dr. Shukairy offers disc replacement surgery as an innovative solution for patients suffering from degenerative disc disease and other spinal conditions. This procedure involves replacing the damaged disc with an artificial one, allowing for preserved mobility and natural movement of the spine. 

Biologic Disc Regeneration

Biologic disc regeneration is a cutting-edge treatment designed to restore damaged spinal discs using regenerative medicine techniques. By harnessing the body’s own healing potential, this procedure promotes the repair of disc tissue, reducing pain and improving function without the need for invasive surgery. 

Fusion and Non-fusion Surgical Technologies

Dr. Shukairy expertly utilizes both fusion and non-fusion surgical technologies to treat a wide range of spinal conditions. Fusion surgery stabilizes the spine by permanently joining two or more vertebrae, while non-fusion options, such as dynamic stabilization, preserve more of the spine’s natural movement. By offering both approaches, Dr. Shukairy can tailor each treatment to the patient’s unique needs, ensuring optimal outcomes and long-term back pain relief.

Spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation  

Both treatment methods use electrical pulses to interfere with pain signals going from the nerves in and around your spine to your brain.

To benefit from spinal cord or peripheral nerve stimulation, you need to undergo a trial followed by minimally invasive surgery to implant a generator and the electrical leads in your body.

Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty

These are techniques for restoring height to vertebrae that have suffered compression fractures, usually as a result of osteoporosis. With vertebroplasty, Dr. Shukairy injects bone cement into the affected vertebra to stabilize it.

Kyphoplasty uses the same technique, but first, Dr. Shukairy raises the height of the collapsed vertebra using a special balloon. He inserts the balloon and inflates it before filling the space with bone cement.

Why would I need minimally invasive surgery for back pain?

Open surgery is the traditional approach to performing operations, during which a large incision in your body is required to access and view your spine directly. This is still necessary for a few situations, but an increasing number of spine surgeries use minimally invasive techniques instead.

Dr. Shukairy can perform many types of minimally invasive spine surgery, including:

• Microdiscectomy
• Artificial disc implantation
• Facetectomy 
• Foraminotomy 
• Laminectomy

Dr. Shukairy commonly uses minimally invasive strategies, such as dilators and tubes to minimize trauma to the surrounding muscle around the spine. He also performs endoscopic spine surgery using a tiny camera on the end of a flexible instrument to view the surgery site for an ultra minimally invasive experience.

To seek treatment for your back pain, call Dr. Mohammad S. Shukairy or request an appointment online today.