Many surgeons rely on pneumatic drills and other traditional hand tools to remove and reshape bone when performing certain types of spinal surgery. While these tools are effective, they can be difficult to control, leading to “collateral damage” to surrounding tissues, healthy bone and spinal structures. To minimize these risks, our board-certified spine surgeon, Dr. Daniel Choi, offers ultrasonic spinal surgery in Long Island. Using BoneScalpel® from Misonix®, a cutting-edge, ultrasonic bone-cutting instrument, Dr. Choi has full control and can perform complex surgeries with incredible accuracy and precision.
Benefits of Ultrasonic Spine Surgery
Increases Accuracy
Ultrasonic instruments allow Dr. Choi to make the most precise surgical cuts through bone without thinning out or destroying healthy bone or damaging surrounding tissues and structures.
Enhances Safety
Surgeries are much shorter and involve fewer steps, reducing the risk of complications. The ultrasonic tool also causes less blood loss and there is a decrease in vibrations while cutting, making it safer when working around the spinal cord and nerves.
Improves Outcomes
Ultrasonic spine surgery reduces the need for plates and screws and leads to less post-operative pain, as well as decreased reliance on pain medications. Your recovery time will be faster and more of your mobility and function will be preserved.
How Does Ultrasonic Spinal Surgery Work?
When performing surgeries, including laminectomy procedures, scoliosis surgery, osteotomies and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion procedures, Dr. Choi has to cut through bone. With ultrasonic spinal surgery, instead of using conventional tools like a pneumatic drill and/or an osteotome, he uses the BoneScalpel to make exceptionally precise surgical cuts.
The ultrasonic tool is matched to ultrasound waves at the correct frequency to cut into dense tissue, such as bone. Since soft tissue structures have a different density and don’t absorb the energy from the instrument, they move away from the blade and are not damaged. Thanks to these tissue sparing effects, Dr. Choi is even able to safely make cuts in areas where he couldn’t before with traditional tools.
Not only are procedures safer, they also have fewer steps and are significantly shorter. BoneScalpel utilizes a non-rotational linear movement and the blade (or shaver tip) moves at an incredibly high frequency to make straight, clean cuts through the bone with ease.
Additionally, the bone absorbs the blade’s energy and vibrations are decreased, making it safer when working around the spinal cord, nerves and other critical structures. The heat from the tool coagulates the surface of spongy bone, causing less blood loss. Overall, the risk of complications is reduced, recovery times are faster and patients have more mobility after their procedure.
Less Pain, More Living
Find out how we can help you achieve freedom from pain. To get started, schedule a consultation with our Long Island spine surgeon today!
