Sorry that I cannot recommend a particular MD, but you can visit the following associations to search for doctors in Florida that specifically work on spinal problems. These are professional associations for spinal surgeons and orthopedic surgeons with registered specialists.

http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/members. cfm

http://webportal.spine.org/BuyersGuide/Pro fessionalSearch.aspx

Minimally invasive spine surgery is wording that is tossed around and doesn't mean a heck of a lot.

It depends on whose using the term and what the term specifically means to the spine surgeon vs the patient.

For example.

Minimally invasive spine surgery could mean the laser spine facilities and how they do things.

Minimally invasive spine surgery could mean a microdisectomy vs a disectomy. one type of incision is smaller than the other, and much, much smaller than the incisions used for a typical fusion.

Minimally invasive surgery could mean a 1 inch incision used to do spine surgery vs a 3 inch incision.

Minimally invasive could also mean a 3 inch incision to do spine surgery vs a 6 inch incision.

It all depends on what you mean by minimally invasive surgery, what type of surgery you are talking about and what you are looking for.

If you provide more information, we could get a better idea of what you are talking about, and then can respond to the type of surgery we have had.

Fran

I am sorry Fran, I am not in conversation with you two here, but I need to came in.

Micro-discectomy does not have anything to do with MIS. I am sure you are aware, but I need to clear for others here.

MIS terminology is very simple, and there's not too much to talk about. MIS includes:
1. Percutaneous procesures
2. Endosopic procedures (thorasopic, laparoscopic)
3. Minimal-incision procedures


MIS is nothing about incision length. Point of MIS is not small incision, point is NOT TO damage already damaged part of our body (spine in this case).

Its a big mistake always connect MIS to small incision. This is 1% of MIS benefits.

Keano16,

As I specifically said in my post, "minimally invasive spine surgery is wording that is tossed around and doesn't mean a heck of a lot.

It depends on whose using the term and what the term specifically means to the spine surgeon vs the patient."

The term gets tossed around so much that it doesn't have the same meaning to patients or doctors, for that matter, that it should.

Which is why I also posted that it depends on what the poster means by minimally invasive spine surgery.

The term gets used with "minimally invasive spine fusion" as well.

In my own experience in getting quite a few opinions before I opted for the spine surgeon I used for my first surgery, I was looking for alternatives to surgery in itself, for some type of minimally invasive surgery that I felt was safe and feasible.

What I found where doctors that tossed out the term as if they where giving out Halloween candy on Halloween.

I saw spine surgeons that claimed to do only "minimally invasive spine surgery", and their definition was 1 inch incisions and stretch the muscles, do a laminectomy, take part of the disc.

I saw spine surgeons that claimed minimally invasive spine surgery is "crock of crap" and only done by the "laser quacks".

I saw spine surgeons that did minimally invasive surgery, so they claimed and their technique was about as minimal as a dead fish is.

I saw a spine surgeon who did "real" minimally invasive spine surgery with an endoscope on patients whose condition was correct for it and fell into a certain criteria for it to be successful, and this spine surgeon sent me back to my original spine surgeon, as "he had the training, experience, knowledge and was on the "cutting edge of doing spine surgery with as minimal cutting as possible using new techniques, which is what I needed". I was no a candidate for true minimally invasive spine surgery, because of what I needed to have done.

I appreciated the honestly of that one spine surgeon and did return to my original spine surgeon.

He never claimed to do minimally invasive spine surgery on cases like mine, though he does do endoscopic spine surgery in appropriate case.

He claimed to utilize minimal surgical techniques which are combined with open spine surgery.

It's unfortunate that the term "minimally invasive spine surgery" is used so freely and inappropriately, but at the same time, patients need to be made aware of what the term may or may not mean and if it is truly being used correctly.

Fran

MISS is not just described as a surgery type. MISS hides behind word "concept".

I am not sure what you are trying to say about MISS fusion. Yes, fusion can be done in MISS concept. Its a big surgery, but its a big step forward not to make 20cm incision and make only 4 incisions (4 x 2cm).