Spine - Clinical Services - UHN Orthopaedics

Minimally invasive surgery is a name given to wide a range of procedures with a common goal: treatment that is less traumatic to the patient and that allows a faster return to a normal lifestyle and activities. In surgery of the spine, three main factors are contributing to a rapid proliferation of options for patients who once faced more extensive open surgeries and a prolonged recovery time.

The use of non-fusion technologies, intra-operative computerized image guidance, and bone morphogenic proteins are changing the face of many spine surgeries. Used independently, or in combination, these developments can mean:

smaller surgical incisions
decreased operative time
avoiding or minimizing the need to cut through muscle
reduced loss of blood
reduced scarring
a shorter hospitalization
a more rapid healing time

The Future Of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Among anticipated developments, is use of computerized image guidance for percutaneous procedures, those done with small punctures through the skin rather than incisions.

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Expertise in minimally invasive techniques, combined with state-of-the-art medical imaging is reducing the need for open spine surgery and long recovery times. Orthopaedic surgeons at Toronto Western Hospital are among Canada’s leading specialists in treating spines damaged by musculoskeletal and arthritic injury.