Minimally Invasive Surgery

As the name suggests, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) requires a minimum surgical incision to the soft tissue surrounding an area of injury.

In contrast to open-surgery, minimally invasive surgery minimizes tissue damage to improve the recovery and surgical outcome.

Traditional open surgery can expose the entire joint through a large, open incision whereas minimally invasive techniques use small, directed incisions. This allows the surgeon to target only the area of concern.

Benefits of MIS:

• Less blood loss
• Less post-operative pain
• Less scarring
• Shorter or no inpatient hospital stay

How is Minimally Invasive Surgery Performed?

Most minimally invasive procedures are performed under local anesthesia or regional block with sedation. This prevents complications associated with general anesthesia.

After the small incisions (about 1cm long) are made, a thin (pen-sized) instrument with a small camera and light is inserted into one of the incisions.

The surgeon can view live video images from the inserted camera on a screen which helps the surgeon direct the other instrumentation to complete the procedure.

These specialized instruments are used for tasks such as shaving, cutting, and grasping.

Minimally invasive techniques are utilized for various procedures which include:

Some of the most common MIS orthopedic surgery procedures: