Froedtert South is at the forefront of revolutionizing back pain treatment with cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedures. By offering advanced options like endoscopic spine surgery, Froedtert South provides patients with faster recovery times, reduced pain, and a return to their daily lives with minimal disruption. This innovative approach, led by skilled professionals like Dr. Syed Mehdi, ensures that individuals suffering from herniated discs and other spinal issues can experience dramatic relief and improved quality of life.
As physicians, we often see our patients from behind. This is primarily because back pain is one of the leading reasons individuals seek medical attention. The simple truth is that if you have a back, sooner or later it’s going to hurt. Often, this pain is caused by slipped or herniated discs, a condition in which one or more of the soft pads that cushion between the vertebrae bones in our spines push out and press on nerves. The result can be pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or a combination of these symptoms in a patient’s back, neck, and one or both legs.
We successfully treat many of these patients with rest, physical therapy, injections, and medications; however, these approaches don’t always work for every patient. In such cases, surgery may be the only option for relief.
A less invasive option
In the not-too-distant past, back surgery typically involved a large incision, several days in the hospital, and a lengthy recovery period. Today, I perform most of these surgeries using minimally invasive, robotic-assisted technology, which requires smaller incisions, causes less pain and bleeding, and allows patients to go home sooner while experiencing a faster recovery.
However, there is another type of minimally invasive back surgery I perform, which is very popular across the country, even though it’s not as common in our area. The procedure is known as endoscopic spine surgery.
This operation is suitable for patients of any age, especially people in their eighties, for whom standard surgery involving a large incision and general anesthesia may not be appropriate. It can also be the right solution for younger, active people who need to have a herniated disc repaired, but want to minimize the disruption to their back muscles and soft tissues that standard surgery entails.
Endoscopic spine surgery involves a much smaller incision and minimizes muscle disruption, leading to reduced blood loss, pain, and usage of pain medication. Patients leave the hospital in less time and are able to recover and return to work and their regular activities even faster. The technology also enables me to more clearly see the herniated disc I’m repairing, as well as the surrounding nerves and tissues, which helps me ensure that the surgery has corrected the patient’s problem.
More and more patients I see are familiar with these types of minimally invasive procedures because they’ve had similar surgeries performed on their knees, shoulders, or elbows. When they learn that the incision required to perform endoscopic spine surgery is just one centimeter long, they become very excited.
One-day surgery with immediate results
The typical patient checks into the hospital in the morning. The surgery generally lasts between one to one and a half hours. When they wake up from the surgery, patients often discover that their back and leg pain has reduced significantly, if not gone altogether. Two to three hours after the surgery, they return home. Within a couple of days, they resume their normal routines. By two weeks, they’re able to engage in nearly all their usual activities. And by about six weeks, they are fully recovered with no restrictions.
Many of these patients have been in debilitating pain for some time, so it is incredibly rewarding for all of us to witness their recovery after surgery, often with little to no pain.
Other doctors may be reluctant to take the time to learn how to perform endoscopic spine surgery, but it was part of my medical education. I completed courses in medical school and underwent residency and fellowship training under surgeons who performed many of these procedures. I knew that I wanted to offer my patients this option.
While endoscopic spine surgery may not be a cure for everyone with a long history of back pain, it can be the right solution for patients with new, acute pain caused by herniated discs and pinched nerves.
This remarkable procedure is being performed at major hospitals across the country. With my training and experience, we’re making it available to help individuals in our communities overcome their back pain.
The bottom line is this: we can improve the condition of some patients experiencing new back pain without requiring a hospital stay. Our approach involves a minimally invasive incision so small they won’t be able to find it a year later, resulting in less pain and a shorter recovery period. This enables patients to return to work and enjoy what they love doing faster than ever before.
Back pain by the numbers
According to the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other experts:
- 619 million people worldwide were affected by back pain in 2020.
- That number is expected to increase to 843 million by 2050.
- Chronic severe back pain affects more than 8% of adults in the U.S.
- In the U.S., back pain accounts for more than 264 million lost workdays per year.
- Managing back pain costs an estimated $200 billion annually worldwide.
For more information, please visit froedtertsouth.com.
Syed Mehdi, M.D., is an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon, specializing in minimally invasive and robotic spine procedures. To make an appointment with him at the Prairie Ridge Clinic in Pleasant Prairie, call 262.671.7465.
