The Neurosurgical Spine Services Division has helped advance minimally invasive, minimal access spine surgery. There has been a trend towards smaller incisions and less localized trauma to the perineural tissues in an effort to improve upon clinical outcomes. A secondary benefit of these approaches may be shortened hospital stays.

Adam S. Kanter, MD, director of the Minimally Invasive Spine Program at UPMC, delicately places an interbody implant during lateral access procedure. Dr. Kanter is assisted by nurse Sara Nix.

Minimally invasive or minimal access spinal surgery has been advocated for certain lumbar and cervical pathology, such as disc ruptures. Earlier attempts at minimal access techniques were hindered by limitations in visualization, physician non-familiarity with minimal-access technologies, and lack of availability of high-quality commercially-available surgical adjuncts such as minimal access ports and endoscopes.

Spine surgeons now perform minimal access procedures on a routine basis. These procedures employ technologies which were not available until recently. Each technique builds upon and supplements traditional surgical approaches. Select any of the following links for a description of the latest technologies and their applications in spinal surgery.

The Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Program at UPMC is under the direction of Adam S. Kanter, MD.

Axial LIF Trans 1

Cervical Discectomy

CyberKnife

Kyphoplasty

Lateral Access

Lumbar Discectomy

Synergy S