Minimally invasive spine surgery is one of the biggest advancements in the field of spine surgery in recent years. Rather than using a large incision and lengthy operation, minimally invasive approaches put less strain on the body.

In traditional open spine surgery an incision is made, and the muscles of the lower back are cut from the spine, often causing blood loss and severing some nerve attachments.

In minimally invasive spine surgery, a large incision is not necessary. The muscles of the back are spared. The surgeon uses small incisions and then guides instruments through these incisions to reach the spine. A special microscope and real-time imaging to help guide the instruments, allowing for more precision. No muscle is cut.

Time under general anesthesia, length of stay in the hospital and recovery time from a traditional “open” back surgery typically is longer than with minimally invasive surgery.

Surgeons at Norton Leatherman Spine, are dedicated to getting you back to living your life. Our surgeons are leaders in the field of minimally invasive spine surgery. They have long experience using robotic assistance to provide greater precision navigating to the site of diseased vertebra and making repairs with less disruption to surrounding tissue.

Benefits of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Minimally invasive spine surgery can have several important benefits over traditional open surgery:

• Smaller incisions
• Less blood loss
• Less pain
• Less soft tissue damage
• Usually shorter hospital stay
• Usually quicker recovery

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Although not everyone is a candidate for minimally invasive surgery, the vast majority of patients may be treated with muscle-sparing techniques that are less disruptive than traditional open surgery.

We encourage our patients to explore all options before consenting to open surgery.

Minimally invasive surgery can significantly reduce postoperative pain, infection risk and time in the hospital. Many minimally invasive procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis, avoiding a two- to six-day hospital stay often associated with open surgery.

Our Surgeons Are Leaders in the Field

Charles H. Crawford III, M.D.

Mladen Djurasovic, M.D. – Dr. Djurasovic has been a national leader in minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery techniques for over 15 years. In particular, he pioneered a procedure called MidLIF that combines minimally invasive access with a standard anatomical approach.

Jeffrey L. Gum, M.D. –  Dr. Gum has been a leader in the development of robotic-assisted minimally invasive spinal surgery.

R. Kirk Owens II, M.D.

Minimally invasive spine surgery techniques can be used to treat many conditions, including:

• Fractured vertebra
• Herniated disc
• Spinal infection
• Spinal stenosis
• Spinal tumor
• Spondylolisthesis

Spine Care From World-renowned Specialists

Norton Leatherman Spine is a world-renowned program delivering groundbreaking care and treatment for back, neck and spine conditions and procedures.

• Nationally recognized spine surgery fellowship program with over 150 trained fellows
• First in the world to perform robotic spine surgery using the Medtronic Mazor X Stealth Edition, demonstrating leadership in surgical innovations
• First health system in the nation to be recognized as an Advanced Orthopedic & Spine Center of Excellence by DNV
• First in the state of Kentucky to use the EOS Imaging system, a high-resolution image system with 50% to 85% less radiation exposure than traditional X-rays and CT scans
• More than 4,000 surgeries performed each year
• Recognized as a national benchmark for patient-reported outcome measures against spine surgeons across the nation, ensuring high-quality, data-driven care
• A team of 45 highly regarded specialists, including orthopedic spine surgeons, neurosurgeons and pain management specialists
• Internationally recognized leaders in clinical research of spinal disease, injury and deformity, opioid management, spine surgical innovations, scoliosis and more
• Specialists who have served in senior positions in the Scoliosis Research Society, the prestigious organization for scoliosis surgeons around the world
• Kenton D. Leatherman, M.D., the program namesake, was the first doctor in Kentucky to repair scoliosis surgically