Faisal A. Siddiqui, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery. He has been honored as a top doctor by Washingtonian Magazine and Northern Virginia Magazine since 2007.
When back or neck pain won’t go away, everyday life can come to a halt. Conditions like herniated discs, pinched nerves, or sciatica are some of the most common reasons people consider spine surgery. If therapy, medication, or injections no longer help, minimally invasive procedures can offer lasting relief with smaller incisions, faster recovery, and a quicker return to work, exercise, and daily life.
Minimally invasive approaches use tiny instruments and small cameras, which are threaded through small openings made by gently pushing muscle fibers aside rather than cutting through them. Inova’s Woodburn surgery center in Fairfax – a surgery center location that is dedicated to orthopedic surgery specifically – is taking advantage of a new, high-definition image technology and driving better outcomes for spine surgery patients.
What difference does this new visualization system make for minimally invasive spine surgery?
Do you remember the first time you saw a high-definition flat-screen TV? If you do, you probably recall the vivid color and sharp, crisp detail of the video images. This new visualization system offers that same leap forward into ultra-high-definition 8K images – only instead of sports or movies, this visual clarity shows the back and spine as the surgeon works. Inova Surgery Center – Woodburn is the only medical facility in the Northern Virginia or metropolitan Washington, DC, area with this new technology.
Because orthopedic spine surgeons are working around the spinal nerves and other small, delicate structures in the back or neck, having the highest possible definition makes a significant difference. This system’s high-definition visualization has led to a leap forward in the world of minimally invasive spine surgery. It enables surgeons to thread tiny cameras on the end of a wire into the spine, where the structures are smaller than they are in the shoulder or knee, for example.
With this new visualization technology, surgeons can use a probe with a camera the size of a pin, thread it through the back to the spine, and get 8K ultra-high-definition video and monitoring. Inova is proud to be the first in the region to have invested in this leading-edge image technology.
What kinds of procedures are possible with this technology?
This visualization technology supercharges any minimally invasive spine surgical procedure. A great example is lumbar spine surgery to relieve chronic low back pain or sciatica, which are two very common conditions that can limit a person’s quality of life. Although there are a variety of nonsurgical treatment options to try first, if a person reaches the point where treatments like physical therapy or injections no longer help to relieve the pain, it may be time to consider surgery.
Traditional surgical procedures to treat these conditions would cut through muscle to reach the spine require a long recovery. With this new technology, a surgeon at Inova Surgery Center – Woodburn can do a similar procedure for chronic back pain or sciatica as an outpatient surgery with a 7-millimeter incision – more than 70 percent smaller than a typical incision minimally invasive spine surgery – and patients can get back to work in a week or two. Patients who were prevented from exercising because of pain can now be more active, which can further reduce symptoms and get people back to a healthy, active lifestyle.
This technology is Inova’s latest investment in bringing leading-edge technology of all kinds to outpatient surgery centers across the region, combining convenience, safety and excellent outcomes. It is truly a game changer that offers a new level of minimally invasive spine surgery.
More About the Inova Surgery Center – Woodburn
Inova Surgery Center – Woodburn, located in Annandale, is a full-service outpatient facility dedicated to orthopedic surgery. It features four state-of-the-art operating rooms, a procedure room, and advanced technology and amenities designed to serve both our patients and medical teams. The center offers joint replacement, hand procedures, sports medicine and other orthopedic surgeries and is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia, certified by Medicare, accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and affiliated with most major insurance providers.
The center is designed for same-day, outpatient surgical procedures, getting patients the excellent surgical care they deserve without an overnight hospital stay. With this technology, the Woodburn surgery center location is at the forefront of innovation in minimally invasive spine surgery in the region.
Learn more about Inova’s growing orthopedics and sports medicine program with new clinics, surgery centers and providers around Northern Virginia to meet patients where they are. Call 571-472-6464 or go to Inova.org.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
