Herniated discs often occur as the result of an injury or old age, and people in their 30s and 40s are at the greatest risk. If patients with herniated discs don’t respond to conservative treatment, such as physical therapy and pain-relieving drugs after eight to 12 weeks, undergoing the surgery is an option.
Traditionally, patients have received a discectomy or foraminotomy and fusion to correct the problem. The endoscopic cervical discectomy that Dr. Liu performs involves inserting a four-millimeter metal tube into the spine through a small incision. A camera is inserted through the tube so he can view the damaged disc without completely opening the surgical site.
After assessing the damaged disc, Dr. Liu decides either to pull a large piece out with a grasper or vaporize a small bulge with a laser. In many cases, the surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure.
Read the Atlantic Spinal Center news release on Dr. Kaixuan Liu.
Read other coverage on endoscopic spine surgery:
– 6 Things to Know About Endoscopic Cervical Spine Surgery
– 4 Critical Steps Physicians Must Take to Learn Endoscopic Spine Surgery
