The aim of the unit is to treat patients, minimizing the risk and guaranteeing faster, optimal recovery
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, March 9, 2022. Hospiten launches a minimally invasive, endoscopic spine surgery unit in Tenerife, which allows less aggressive procedures to be carried out and treats the elderly, cancer patients and those with previous illnesses, minimizing risk as much as possible.
One of the most common spine conditions is spinal stenosis, a common condition in elderly patients and those with multiple previous pathologies. One of its most common symptoms is pain in one or both legs, and it can cause a blockage or "pinching" in the affected causing pain when walking.
Dr. Carlos Valencia, neurosurgeon at the Hospiten Bellevue, Hospiten Sur and Hospiten Rambla University Hospitals explains that, “many of these elderly patients, who may have heart problems or diabetes, for example, are rejected by traditional surgery because of the increased surgical risk. Endoscopic surgery is indicated in these cases since it minimizes the risk and guarantees optimal, rapid recovery”.
Another of the most common pathologies is disc herniation, which is common in younger patients. In these cases, full endoscopic surgery can be used, a minimally invasive treatment carried out by making a 1.5 cm incision. This technique means that traditional surgery can be avoided, which
is carried out under a microscope and whose incision can be up to 5-7 cm in length. In any case, the surgeon's choice of technique is based on the type and grade of the hernia.
In many spine diseases involving traditional or open surgery, a decision is made to implant prostheses like screws or plates. This entails a more aggressive surgical procedure and can cause problems for the patient as a result of the instruments used. For its part, endoscopic surgery allows many patients to be operated on without the need for a prosthesis.
In some cases, like spine fractures or back pathologies with vertebral displacement screws must be implanted. A minimally invasive procedure allows the screws to be implanted through smaller incisions and with less damage to the patient's musculature. "Using this technique translates into a faster recovery process, with less pain, fewer complications and risks, in addition to a reduction in the need for medication and prompter return to daily life," states Dr. Valencia.
About the Hospiten Group
The Hospiten Group is an international healthcare network with 50 years of experience, committed to providing the highest quality service, and which has twenty private medical-hospital centers in Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica and Panama. The group is chaired by Dr. Pedro Luis Cobiella and attends more than 2,000,000 patients from all over the world every year with a workforce of more than 5,000 people.