University Hospital Introduces Endoscopic Vertebral Surgery for Disc Herniated Disc Patients

University hospitals currently offer endoscopic spinal surgery to patients who need treatment for lower back pain due to herniated discs in the spine. Xiaofei (Sophie) Zhou, MD, completed the Arthrex Endoscopic Spine Training Course to bring this advanced procedure to the health system, recently taking the first endoscopic resection using Arthrex technology at UH. Finished. It is the only health system in the Greater Cleveland area that offers this type of ultra-minimal invasive surgery.

Arthrex technology allows the surgeon to remove the herniated portion of the disc via a single incision of less than 1 cm. Lumbar disc herniation had previously been treated using microscopes and larger incisions to accommodate for visualization. Because the incision is small, there is no blood loss from the minimum, no opioids are prescribed postoperatively, bone resection and bone resection, reduced postoperative pain, faster recovery, and speed of work and daily activities are compared. Many benefits are possible. For traditional techniques.

Specially designed equipment, such as endoscopes for pencil width, allows surgeons to see and reach small areas of the spine without the need for the large incision required for traditional spinal surgery. This minimizes muscle destruction and damage that will stabilize the back, reducing the need to remove bones.

Dr. Zhou is the only female spine neurosurgeon in the health system and is the associate program director of neurosurgery residency at university hospitals. She hopes to expand the program by training the next generation of doctors.

This type of surgery is the future. Adopting this at UH and training our residents in it sets them up to succeed in their own careers. We provide healing and teach the next generation, but we are discovering new, minimal invasive ways to achieve surgical success. This fits very well into our mission: healing. To teach. Discover. ”

Dr. Xiaofei (Sophie) Zhou, MD

The first successful case took place this month, providing 33-year-old patient Brenna Paradinovich, which reduced pain and improved quality of life. In August 2023, Brenna collapsed and injured her back. After persistent pain, after trying to relieve it with physical therapy, the MRI showed herniation in the spine. Brenna’s pain management experts proposed epidural injection, which helped for a short time, but ultimately had to continue with physical therapy.

As the pain continued, Brenna’s healthcare team knew surgery was the best option. She initially underwent traditional spinal surgery. A large incision with Mr. Shu was used in October 2024. The disc is not uncommon, and was referred to Dr. Zhou for this new surgical option. After the endoscopy, Brenna was able to return home the same day. She believes the recovery time took about two weeks than traditional surgery. She said after experiencing this procedure, she would never again undergo traditional spinal surgery.

“Dr. Zhou explained the surgery in an easy to understand way and made me feel comfortable,” explained Brenna. “I was able to go home the same day. This procedure was far better in terms of recovery than traditional spinal surgery at first. In the first surgery, the incision was about 2 inches long. It was lengthy. I have autism, so the social environment was very attractive and I walked through all stages of surgery.

“This new type of surgery will not only reduce recovery time for patients and avoid scarring, but also avoid scarring because it is less than centimeters, but will take measures against one of the most important parts. It helps in anxiety. Of their bodies,” added Dr. Zhou. “It’s particularly beneficial for young patients. We are grateful to be able to provide this advanced technique to our patients. We look forward to continuing to grow this program as we train more surgeons in this field.”