1. Facet Disease Surgery – The
Minimally Invasive Option

2. Facet disease surgery will not be necessary for the
majority of patients who suffer from this degenerative
condition. In fact, most individuals find relief from the
symptoms associated with the condition (back or neck
pain, stiffness, and inflammation, as well as radiating
pain, numbness, weakness, and tingling) after several
weeks or months of conservative, nonsurgical treatments.
Physical therapy, pain medications, anti-inflammatory
drugs, facet joint injections, and hot/cold therapy, among
others, are commonly recommended conservative
methods. The small percentage of patients who do not
respond to conservative therapies may be asked to
consider surgery.

3. Open Spine Surgery vs. Minimally
Invasive Procedures
Some facet disease surgery options involve highly invasive
techniques with large incisions in the neck or back that
require a patient to be hospitalized. These procedures may
involve removal of a large portion of the spinal anatomy and
the possibility of spinal fusion, which, for some patients, may
compromise the overall stability of the spine. These open
spine surgeries often precede a lengthy and difficult recovery
for a patient, especially because of the muscular dissection
that is necessary for a surgeon to access a deteriorated facet
joint. Minimally invasive procedures, on the other hand, can
greatly reduce the recovery period for a patient.

4. A Minimally Invasive Approach
Facet thermal ablation is one type of minimally invasive
surgery for facet disease. This endoscopic procedure involves
a small incision in the neck or back and the insertion of a tube.
An endoscope, or camera, tiny surgical instruments, and a
laser are fed through the tube near the affected facet joint.
The attached camera projects an image of the inside of a
patient’s spine on a screen in the operating room so a surgeon
can view and remove torn cartilage and other anatomical
debris before cauterizing the innervating facet joint nerves.
Deadening the joint’s nerves can help to relieve pain without
affecting the joint’s ability to function – and also without
disrupting or removing large portions of the spinal anatomy.

5. Benefits of an Endoscopic Procedure
The above type of minimally invasive facet disease surgery offers
several benefits over an open spine surgery. Endoscopic
procedures are almost always performed as outpatient
procedures and do not require
hospitalization, large incisions,
or the dissection of soft tissues.
Patients who undergo this
type of procedure also
usually enjoy a
much faster recovery period.

6. Are You Eligible for a Minimally
Invasive Procedure?
Not every patient is a candidate for a minimally
invasive procedure because the location and
severity of the condition will vary among
individuals. Additionally, unless an emergency
condition is present, patients should consult two
or more doctors to confirm that all nonsurgical
forms of treatment have been exhausted before
consenting to any form of facet disease surgery.