Incredible Procedure Known As Laser Laminectomy
2.4 million Americans suffer from chronic back pain according to the center for disease control. The costs incurred to treat back pain are approximately $75 billion either directly or indirectly. Back pain is common next to flue in America debilitating and results in loss of work and income.
The individual suffering from back pain has to deal with emotional and chronic physical pain. The pain can be a lifetime experience, unless surgical intervention is recommended by trained physicians. Pain killers, analgesics, and steroidal applications are just a band aid to a chronic condition. Laser laminectomy is a new procedure done to reduce chronic condition in patients suffering from back pain. Laminectomy refers to a procedure done on vertebra resulting in partial or complete removal of the lamina. Lamina is the wing like part of the vertebra. The back bone is also called vertebrae. The spinal cord traverses through the vertebra.
Patients suffering from severe back pain usually have a condition called spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a medical condition, where the spinal cord nerves are affected resulting in compression of the nerves. The common cause for spinal stenosis is injury, aging or a tumor. Surgical laminectomy was pioneered by Victor Alexander Haden Horsley in 1887. Laminectomy attempts to remove or partially shape the spinal disc to treat conditions like herniated disc.
The most common symptom for patients is chronic low back pain which results in immobility and a feeling of anguish. Currently, treatment of low lumbar back pain due to herniated discs is by surgery or use of pain killers. A invasive procedure is the recommended procedure to prevent suffering and emotional stress. The surgical procedure for the patient is done under general anesthesia. The patient is admitted to a hospital and under anesthesia a small incision is made at the back to perform laminectomy.
Also an alternate procedure of treatment would be by laser laminectomy. Herniated discs are also commonly known as “Slipped disc”. Herniation disc occurs when the nerves around the spine are directly affected by the bulging inter vertebral disc. This causes pain on the left and right side of the lower back. The aim of surgical laminectomy procedure is to relieve the pressure exerted on the nerves around the spinal column; this allows to relieve the pain and allow for physical reduction of the protruding lamina. Patients who have undergone laminectomy have to go through a long recovery phase after surgery. This involves pain mediation, physical therapy and exercise.
Novel and minimally invasive laser laminectomy is a great approach towards treating patients suffering from back pain. Back pain is an ancient condition and can be traced back to ancient Egyptians and Greek times.
Laser laminectomy entails using a leaser beam to slice part of the effected nerve or lamina to relive pain in the back. Huston laser laminectomy can attempt this procedure for herniated discs which is minimally invasive. Less invasive is medical slang for a procedure that does not need anesthesia. Anastasia is required in surgical laminectomy the patient is put under Anastasia before the procedure is performed. The surgical option is invasive and expensive, and carries the risk of occurring again and also latter affecting the neck.
Treatment for back pain is costly, chronic and complicated. These are the three C’s that plague the American workforce in software research and development. American geriatric population is also affected by chronic back pain and consideration should be given to potential treatments such as laser laminectomy.
