Spinal Disease and Injuries
Eisenhower Neuroscience Institute is the only spine care program in the valley with the specialists and technologies to offer comprehensive spine care. Our accomplished, board certified surgeons and neurosurgeons provide state-of-the art prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and surgical intervention for a variety of spinal diseases and injuries.
We offer a broad spectrum of surgical and non-surgical treatment options, always starting with the least invasive treatment. Our experts are committed to keeping up with the latest research, treatments, procedures, and technological innovations to provide our patients with leading edge care. Conditions we treat include:
- Degenerative disc disease
- Osteo and rheumatoid arthritis and stenosis of the spine
- Disc herniation and fractures of the spine
- Tumors of the spinal cord and the vertebrae
- Injuries to the spinal cord and the vertebrae
- Spine tumors
- Spinal vascular formations
Procedures
During surgery, our neurosurgeons rely on the latest intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring techniques to continuously assess the function of the brain, brainstem, spinal cord, cranial nerves, and peripheral nerves.
- Disc surgery. Intervertebral discs are cartilaginous structures that sit between the vertebrae. The function of the discs is to help absorb shock to the spine. The interior of the disk is a gel-like area called the nucleus pulposus. This is contained by a tough outer layer, the annulus fibrosis. If the annulus fibrosis is damaged, part of the disc’s interior may push through into the spinal canal. The result is a herniated disc which can press on a nerve, causing pain and even affecting movement. Depending on a person’s symptoms, disc surgery may be prescribed to remove the herniated part of the disc.
- Spinal fusion. Depending on the location of a disc surgery, a spinal fusion may be necessary to stabilize the spine. This involves joining two bones together with screws.
- Spinal reconstruction surgery. Spinal deformities or misalignments of the spine, such as scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, and kyphosis, may affect more than one level of the spine. Spinal reconstruction surgery reshapes and stabilizes the spine. This is highly individualized surgery that can involve implanting rods and pins, fusing vertebrae together, or replacing a damaged disc with a prosthesis.
- Minimally invasive spinal surgery. To gain access to the spine, surgeons must go through or around muscle tissue. In some cases, this can be achieved minimally invasively through one or more small incisions that are dilated using a device called a tubular retractor to move muscle out of the way. Surgery is performed through the small incision(s) using microscopic video cameras, guided imagery, and tiny instruments.
- Extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF). This is a minimally invasive procedure in which the surgeon accesses the spine from the patient’s side rather the front or back. This technique avoids cutting through bones, ligaments, and major back muscles. We are the valley’s first facility to offer this procedure, used to reduce chronic back or leg pain that has not responded to non-invasive treatments such as steroids injections, physical therapy, or pain medication.
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