Our spine specialists offer a wide variety of operative and non-operative services for treating various conditions of the spine. Listed below are some of our specialty areas:

• Surgical
  
• Spinal fusion
• Spinal fusion is a surgical treatment that fuses (joins) two vertebrae (spinal bones) together. It is often performed in combination with other back surgeries.

Spine surgeons at the KIMS Department of Spine Surgery combine experience, expertise, and innovation to offer the most appropriate surgical approaches for treating difficult spine conditions. Spinal fusion may be performed in the following cases:

• In combination with other surgical procedures for spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal column), such as laminectomy (vertebra removal) or foraminotomy (widening of the space where nerves leave the spinal column)
  
• Scoliosis (side-to-side curvature), kyphosis (front-to-back curvature), or other abnormal curvatures
• Following a discectomy (vertebra removal) in the neck
• Vertebral fractures/injuries
• Unstable spine caused by infections or tumors
• Spondylolisthesis – when a vertebra slips out from underneath and then gets wedged on top of another vertebra

DISCECTOMY

Discectomy is a surgical treatment to remove a herniated (ruptured) disc. It is sometimes performed in combination with other back surgeries.

The goal of the specialists at the KIMS Department of Spine Surgery is to treat your symptoms with the least amount of surgery possible. In most cases, treatments such as anti-inflammatory medicines, physical therapy, and exercise will effectively treat the symptoms of a herniated disc. If, however, a patient continues to experience severe symptoms after applying these non-operative treatments, the following procedures may be considered:

• Microdiscectomy is focused on removing the ruptured disc, and does not involve much surgery on the bones, joints, ligaments, or muscles of the spine.
  
• Discectomy in the lower (lumbar) back may be accompanied by other surgical procedures, such as laminectomy (vertebra removal), foraminotomy (widening of the space where nerves leave the spinal column), or spinal fusion (fusing vertebrae).
• Discectomy in your neck also is often accompanied by laminotomy, foraminotomy, or spinal fusion.

LAMINECTOMY

Laminectomy is surgery to remove the lamina. This is part of the bone that makes up a vertebra in the spine. Laminectomy may also be done to remove bone spurs in your spine. The procedure can take pressure off your spinal nerves or spinal cord.

Laminectomy opens up your spinal canal so your spinal nerves have more room. It may be done along with a diskectomy, foraminotomy, and spinal fusion. You will be asleep and feel no pain (general anesthesia).

You lie face down on the operating table. The surgeon makes an incision (cut) in the middle of your back or neck.The skin, muscles, and ligaments are moved to the side. Your surgeon may use a surgical microscope to see inside your back.Part or all of the lamina bones may be removed on both sides of your spine, along with the spinous process, the sharp part of your spine.Your surgeon removes any small disk fragments, bone spurs, or other soft tissue.The surgeon may also do a foraminotomyat this time to widen the opening where nerve roots travel out of the spine.Your surgeon may do a spinal fusion to make sure your spinal column is stable after surgery.The muscles and other tissues are put back in place. The skin is sewn together.

PHYSIATRY

• Exercise therapy
• Medications, including minimally invasive injections
• Non-surgical decompression

CHIROPRACTIC

• Manual spinal manipulation
• Flexion-distraction therapy
• Manual soft tissue therapies
• McKenzie mechanical diagnosis and treatment
• Graston instrumented soft tissue manipulation
• Ergonomic advice and lifestyle changes