If you're suffering from debilitating back or neck pain that is impacting your quality of life, there's a chance you might need to consider spine surgery. UF Health is fully equipped with a world-class team of spine surgeons and advanced medical technologies to deliver the latest and most effective methods available with a patient-centered approach.
We understand that chronic back pain can limit one's daily life in so many ways, from being able to perform routine activities to overall well-being, and we know that experts estimate that nearly 80% of Americans will experience back problems during their lifetime. That's why we offer a wide range of options, from minimally invasive spine surgeries to complex spinal reconstructions, to address even the most challenging cases and be in a position to transform as many of these lives as possible.
Our neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons, many of whom are nationally recognized leaders in their fields, work in tandem to perform thousands of successful spine surgeries every year. However, they can't accomplish that without working closely with you, the patient, to discuss each treatment option and create a personalized plan tailored to your specific spine condition.
At UF Health, each board-certified spine specialist and their team is trained to perform the optimal procedure for you, ranging from a minimally invasive pain management procedure to computer-guided spinal surgery.
I can’t thank the doctors at UF Health enough for what they did for me.
Minimally invasive spinal surgery is a term used to describe a number of different surgical procedures that minimize the size of the incision and tissue disruption required to access the spine.
Vertebroplasty is often an outpatient procedure used to treat painful compression fractures in the spine. During a vertebroplasty, your spine surgeon seals the fractures and stabilizes your bones.
Kyphoplasty is also often an outpatient procedure used to treat painful compression fractures in the spine, similar to a vertebroplasty. However, rather than sealing the fractures, your surgeon inserts a balloon into the fracture space and then inflates to restore height to the collapsed vertebra.
Spinal decompression encompasses various types of treatment that can relieve back pain by taking pressure off the neural elements of your spine. Some type of spinal decompression surgeries are considered complex spine surgeries.
Diskectomy is surgery to remove all or part of the cushion that helps support part of your spinal column. These cushions, or disks, separate your spinal bones.
Artificial disc replacement
In a disc replacement surgery, the damaged disc is replaced with an artificial disc to help preserve motion in the spine. It is often performed to treat spinal stenosis.
Laminectomy is surgery to remove the lamina. This is part of the bone that makes up a vertebra in the spine. Laminectomy may also be done to remove bone spurs or a herniated (slipped) disk in your spine. The procedure is considered a type of spinal decompression and can take pressure off your spinal nerves or spinal cord. It can be performed using minimally invasive techniques or as a complex surgery depending on your specific condition.
This spinal decompression procedure is performed to enlarge the space around the nerve roots as they leave the spinal cord to help relieve pressure. Depending on your condition, it can be performed as a minimally invasive spine surgery or as a complex surgery.
Minimally invasive spine surgery is frequently performed on an outpatient basis.
Complex spine surgery
Complex spinal surgery includes surgical procedures that are often more extensive. They involve multiple levels of the spine, as well as complex spinal deformities or spinal cord injuries. These surgeries are often performed to address conditions that cannot be treated with minimally invasive techniques.
Spinal fusion surgery is done to permanently join together two or more bones in the spine (vertebra) so there is no movement between them. Sometimes this procedure can be done as a minimally invasive procedure but many times it is considered a more complex procedure. There are a number of types of spinal fusion surgeries depending on your specific condition.
Why choose UF Health for spine surgery?
At UF Health, our spine surgeons are an integral part of our comprehensive spine center team. They work together with our interventional spine medicine specialists to tailor a treatment plan to your individual needs. Through this collaborative process, patients can trust that they are getting the level of care they need.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency or life-threatening circumstances, please call 911. If you wish to speak to a mental health clinician immediately, please dial (352) 265-5481.
Sherry Jennings and her husband, Mike, relocated to Florida from Tennessee. Looking for a change of scenery to kick-start their retirement, they scoured the…
