Back in Action: How Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Is Changing Lives
When people hear the words “spine surgery,” it often conjures images of long hospital stays, large incisions, and lengthy recoveries. But thanks to advances in technology and technique, those ideas are becoming a thing of the past. Dr. Michael Spadola, a Penn Medicine neurosurgeon treating patients through Shore Physicians Group’s Neurosurgery Division in Somers Point, NJ, is helping rewrite that narrative—one small incision at a time.
Dr. Spadola specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, an approach that offers remarkable benefits for patients, especially older adults. Using advanced tools like tubular retractors, he’s able to access the spine through an incision just centimeters long, working through the body’s natural tissue planes rather than cutting through muscle.
“This kind of surgery minimizes injury to normal structures in the body,” explains Dr. Spadola. “That means less pain for the patient, especially in older adults who are more likely to have arthritis and degenerative spine changes. The recovery is much faster, and patients are getting back to their lives in days, not weeks.”
Minimally invasive techniques can be used to treat a range of spinal conditions, including herniated discs, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and spondylolisthesis—a condition where one vertebra slips over another. The Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery offers further detail on these and other procedures.
In the past, these types of procedures required large incisions and days of hospitalization. Today, many are performed as same-day surgeries, dramatically reducing the physical trauma of surgery and the burden on patients and their families.
Dr. Spadola sees firsthand how the perception of spine surgery hasn’t caught up with reality. “A lot of people still think spine surgery means wearing a back brace or staying in the hospital for a week,” he says. “But with these techniques, people are often up and walking the same day.”
For older patients in particular, the benefits are profound. Because the surgery avoids major muscle dissection, the recovery is not only faster, but also safer, reducing the risks of complications and prolonged immobility. Research backs this up, showing that minimally invasive spine surgery patients return to normal activities and even work much sooner than those who undergo traditional open procedures.
Dr. Spadola recommends patients considering spine surgery talk to their doctor about minimally invasive options—and to do their research from reputable sources. “There are plenty of studies out there showing the advantages. The key is finding information from trusted medical organizations and providers,” he says.
With growing awareness and access to skilled neurosurgeons like Dr. Spadola, patients in South Jersey now have more options than ever to relieve their pain and reclaim their mobility—without the long road to recovery. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Shore Physicians Group Neurosurgery Division at 609-365-6239.
