Endoscopic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Techniques

Spinal endoscopy is poised to parallel the development and evolution of knee, shoulder, and ankle arthroscopy. 1 Without endoscopy, spine surgeons must depend heavily on imaging systems that while extremely sensitive in identifying pathologic conditions, do not always correlate that condition with the patient’s pain. Endoscopic disc surgery is evolving rapidly due to the introduction of improvements in endoscope design and instrumentation ( Figure 73.1 ). 2 The introduction of various cannula configurations combined with excellent optics gives the endoscopic spine surgeon the ability to probe spinal anatomy in a conscious patient while protecting sensitive spinal nerves, allowing the surgeon to evaluate the pathologic process causing the patient’s pain. When spinal endoscopy can be performed, conditions previously not even considered for surgery may be evaluated and managed. 3 Figure 73.1 The YESS discoscope and partial instrument set. The spinal endoscope is designed with multichannel irrigation and a cannula system that allows access to targeted areas while protecting sensitive nerves. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780429123801/252747c7-fca5-426b-ae09-f21807d4cf67/content/fig73_1.jpg"/>