Classically people with spinal stenosis are those individuals that walk and get leg and back pain; when they sit down, the pain almost immediately goes away. However, research shows that the best way to sleep is laying on your side curled up in a ball for back pain. This position causes the spine to open up. Integrative Pain & Spine specialists use Vertiflex Superion for minimally invasive spine surgery in Frisco to treat spinal stenosis.
The Superion device is H-shaped. Your doctor will delicately place the spine while still allowing flexion. The benefit of this device is the flexion of the spine between the posterior aspects of the backside of the spine. The device prevents extension of the spaces to open up and allows relief of the pain, whereas extension of the spine compresses, which is where a lot of the pain stems from for patients with spinal stenosis.
Table of Contents
How does the procedure work?
The Vertiflex Superion procedure is minimally invasive. The process starts when a patient walks into the treatment facility, and the care provider starts by interviewing to assess their physical status better. Next is light sedation, where the care provider in charge will make a small one-half-inch incision in the lumbar spine, places the device, and then closes the skin after the procedure is complete with a simple stitch and band-aid. The procedure itself takes 20 minutes or less, and then the patient is discharged.
What are the benefits of the procedure?
The results following recovery of the Vertiflex Superion procedure for each patient are always individualized thus different. However, Superion is one of the very few procedures in medicine that has over five years of data which is a significant number when it comes to the management of spinal stenosis pain. The data shows up to 80% pain reduction in patients that have undergone the procedure.
Are there risks associated with the procedure?
Even though Vertiflex Superion is a minimally invasive procedure, some risks are involved with the Superion device. The two most significant risks that care providers are concerned about are:
- Infection: This is why the procedure should be performed in the operation room under sterile techniques.
- Bleeding: This risk primarily affects anti-coagulated patients. These patients are usually those under medications against specific cardiac issues.
A specific complication to the Superion device is a fracture of a small bone called the spinous process. As the device goes between the posterior processes, a fracture may develop the more prolonged the device stays there. However, although this complication rarely occurs, it does not have adverse outcomes, and most patients do not seek treatment for it.
What makes someone a good candidate for this procedure?
The Vertiflex Superion is not a procedure for patients that have severe stenosis. However, if you have a mild to moderate disease and do not feel that surgery is the right option when you seek treatment, then Vertiflex is an excellent procedure for you. Contact Integrative Pain & Spine to book your appointment to eliminate spinal stenosis using the Vertiflex Superion minimally invasive procedure.