"Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery" - This is what every spine surgeon claims to do. Exactly how small is it? Most so called "minimally invasive spine surgery" is actually very traumatic and damaging, from our perspective.

The problem is that "minimally invasive" "has become a trite phrase that has lost its meaning and is used by different authors to describe totally different things" Ref.(1).

Is it bigger than your fingernail, smaller than your fist? There is no specific or standard meaning.

References (1) Decision Making in Spinal Care - 1st Edition Thieme, 2007 - Our Book Chapter

"Micro-discectomy" - a misnomer which sounds small. Actually it is a traumatic access operation requiring a sizeable opening, cutting muscle and typically drilling and cutting bone and joint also.

A microscope is a large device located outside of the body and requires a traumatic opening, large enough to see inside.

"Endoscopic" is also misleading language used in promotional material from other centers, when in fact some of them do a very traumatic access operation requiring a sizeable opening, stretching and tearing muscle, drilling and cutting out bone, ligament and joint also.

The bone, ligament and joint removed is typically completely normal and doing an important job in the spine. Removing it causes permanent damage and may cause permanent symptoms due to this damage (Failed Back Surgery Syndrome).

"Instead of Open Surgery" - can be very misleading language used in promotional material from other centers, when in fact some of them do a very traumatic access sizeable opening, stretching and tearing muscle, drilling and cutting out bone, ligament and commonly joint also.

The bone, ligament and joint removed is typically completely normal and doing an important job in the spine. Removing it causes permanent injury and may cause permanent symptoms due to this trauma (Failed Back Surgery Syndrome). After doing this type of damage, to call it "instead of open surgery" is absurd. This deception is beyond HYPE.