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Your foramen is the area in your spinal canal that your nerves exit from. When these nerves become compressed or “strangled” by conditions such as bone spurs, disc herniations or ruptures, scar tissue and sometimes excessive ligament development, surgery to free up the nerve is occasionally the only hope for pain relief. Foraminotomy Overview: A foraminotomy is a minimally invasive procedure using an endoscopic approach to opening the foramen. A foraminotomy doesn’t require general anesthetic or lengthy hospital stays and because of the minimally invasive nature of this surgery it can be performed in an outpatient surgical setting. If nerve root compression is drastically affecting a person’s lifestyle and conservative measures have been exhausted, surgery to relieve the discomfort may be discussed with the patient. The end goal of a foraminotomy is to provide relief from nerve root compression caused by disc problems, bone spurs and excessive scar tissue or ligament development. Arthroscopic Surgery: Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure that uses a tubular instrument inserted directly into the affected joint. Endoscopic Surgery: Endoscopic surgery uses the same tubular instrument that arthroscopic surgery uses. The difference being; in an endoscopic procedure the tube is not inserted directly into the joint. Explanation of a Foraminotomy: A foraminotomy is considered a minimally invasive procedure which doesn’t require general anesthetic and can be performed in an outpatient surgical setting. With the patient in a position, granting access to the back, a small incision is made and a local anesthetic is administered. A round Depuy tube is inserted into the incision with a series of larger tubes being placed over it, eventually increasing its size to about 18 millimeters in diameter (about as large as a whiteboard marker). The surgical instruments used during the procedure will gain access to the patient through this tube. They include the laser, camera, suction, irrigation and other surgical instruments. Because this process moves or pushes the muscles and tissues instead of cutting or tearing them, minimal scar tissue will develop during the healing process. When the working tube is secured the process of removing the portion of problematic bone or tissue can be accomplished. A foraminotomy is a relatively quick and pain free procedure with many patients acknowledging pain relief as the affected nerve is “freed”. After the surgeon has successfully freed the nerve, the working tube is slowly removed from the patient allowing for the muscles to move back into their correct position. The incision is then closed with one to two stitches. After a Foraminotomy: After one or two hours of monitoring, the patient is released (accompanied by a companion). The recovery process begins that very evening as patients are advised to go for a long relaxing walk. The next day the patient returns for a post-operative consultation to receive clearance from the doctor to return home. Foraminotomy Advantages: There are many advantages to having minimally invasive surgery such as not having to endure a lengthy hospital stay, reduced risk of infection, no need for general anesthetic, fast recovery from the procedure and minimal amount of scar tissue formed.
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Find out more information on minimally invasive techniques such as a foraminotomy procedure or other spinal fusion alternatives here.
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