When Should I Consider Bone Spur Removal?

If after 6 – 8 weeks of conservative treatment fail to relieve your pain, bone spur removal may be the next proper course of treatment. If however, you have loss of coordination in your arms or legs, you may need to undergo bone spur surgery sooner. This decision should be an educated one, made with the help of a doctor. For most people, conservative treatment will provide enough relief from their symptoms and will not require surgical intervention.

What Are the Available Spinal Bone Spur Surgery Options?

The main purpose of spinal bone spurs surgery is to remove the bone spurs and to repair the damage areas, if necessary. Bone spur removal and any necessary spinal repair can be accomplished with either open spine surgery, or minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery.

With traditional open spine surgery, the surgeon makes an incision in the skin, cuts through muscle and surrounding structures to gain access to the bone spur, whereas with minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery, the surgeon needs only a small incision to gain access to the bone spur. Compared with open spine surgery, minimally invasive endoscopic surgery is associated with high success rates, minimal to no blood loss, a fast recovery, no need for general anesthesia, no hospitalization, and many other advantages.

At Atlantic Spine Center, our endoscopic spine surgeons accomplish bone spur removal endoscopically, meaning the surgeon makes a microscopic incision to visualize and approach the bone spur with the assistance of a tiny camera. Our innovative techniques allow us to perform surgery with minimal disruption to your muscles, which results in significantly less post-operative pain and allows for a quick recovery.

Endoscopic Foraminotomy

Bone spur removal with an endoscopic foraminotomy procedure is highly effective and has a high rate of success. Although there is a chance of the bone spur developing again, if you make sure to correct the problems that caused it in the first place, the chance is significantly reduced.

An endoscopic foraminotomy is performed with intravenous sedation and under a local anesthetic. The surgeon will make a small incision in the back of the patient to insert a special small tube. Through this tube the surgeon is then able to gain access to the bone spur and clean away any other debris. This is a same day procedure and you will be awake through the whole process. There is no need for an overnight hospital stay and many patients note that they feel relief of their leg or arm symptoms while the procedure is being done.

Full recovery after bone spur removal can be expected anywhere from roughly ten days to a few weeks.