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Keyhole Surgery

Our specialists at The UK Spine Centre have great experience in performing keyhole or minimally invasive surgery.

We aim to perform all operations through a minimally invasive approach and achieve this in about 95% of our cases.

Uses

Keyhole surgery works really well for a broad range of spinal operations including microdiscectomy, decompression, fusion, disc replacement and balloon kyphoplasty.

Procedure

‘Keyhole’ means operating through the smallest possible skin incision. We are well equipped at The UK Spine Centre with special instruments, powerful lights and magnification to see everything well and perform your operation safely in this way.

Benefits

Keyhole surgery minimises damage to the muscles, reduces post-operative pain and speeds recovery.

Blood loss is usually less than a traditional open operation.

The combination of advanced anaesthetic techniques with minimally invasive surgery means 95% of cases at The UK Spine Centre are performed as day case operations. Day case spinal surgery is rarely available elsewhere.

Risks

Keyhole surgery requires a skilled and experienced surgeon.

The risks are broadly similar to a traditional open operation. In our experience about one patient in a hundred may have a complication.

Depending on the type of spinal operation complications may include an infection, nerve injury, spine fluid leak, metalwork failure, ongoing or worse pain, blood clot, medical problems, etc.

Recovery

A big advantage of keyhole surgery is you will be up and about and walking within a few hours of your operation.

Surgery at The UK Spine Centre means you will benefit from returning home on the same day and sleeping in your own bed.

In the first week or so after surgery you may need to take simple painkillers which we will provide.

We encourage you to be up and moving with regular short walks, building this up gradually.

We will check your incision over the first fortnight. Our patients benefit from dissolvable stitches which do not have to be removed.

We have found it very helpful to start an early program of exercises and rehabilitation from two weeks post op. This reduces any stiffness in the back and speeds healing.

We will see you back in clinic six weeks after your operation and subsequently as required.

Depending on the type of surgery and your occupation, return to work is normally from 2 – 6 weeks. Fusion takes slightly longer, typically 6 – 12 weeks.

Our team will support you before and after surgery and your specialist remains available to you at any time.

Further Reading

Please see our Patient Stories which describe real patients, their problems, diagnosis and successful treatment under our care at The UK Spine Centre.

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