Treatments

Our doctors are dedicated to getting to the root cause of back pain, neck pain, headaches, sciatica, arm and leg numbness/weakness, carpal tunnel, pinched nerve, herniated disc as well as tailoring treatment plans for stroke patients, brain tumors, spine fractures, concussions, disc disease and other degenerative spine issues. Our goal is to provide treatment solutions that result in quality of life and pain-free living for our patients.

Our team has extensive experience performing the following procedures:

Minimally Invasive Surgery

CNY Brain and Spine Neurosurgery specializes in performing minimally invasive surgery (MISS), which refers to any minimally invasive procedure that targets conditions through the use of small incisions as opposed to traditional surgery, which typically requires a larger incision. For instance, we can safely removing brain & skull base tumors through smaller, more precise openings that minimize collateral damage to surrounding scalp, brain, blood vessels & nerves.


Reconstructive Spinal Deformities

Complex spinal reconstruction is a term used to describe a number of more complicated surgical procedures that may be needed to address certain injuries and conditions. There are a variety of ways in which a spine may be misshapen, because of scoliosis, kyphosis, Scheuermann’s disease and other problems. In such spinal deformity patients, the spine is curved from side to side, rotated and/or curved forward too much.

There are many ways to reconstruct a curved spine. The type of surgery for spinal reconstruction depends on the degree of the curve, where the curve is located within the spine, patient age, patient general health and other factors.

The spine surgeons at Central New York Brain and Spine Neurosurgery specialize in performing reconstructive spinal deformity procedures.

Spinal Fracture Fixation

Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF) is a surgery done to fix broken bones. This is a 2-part surgery. First, the broken bone is reduced or put back into place. Next, an internal fixation device is placed on the bone. This can be done with screws, plates, rods, or pins that are used to hold the broken bone together.

The spine surgeons at Central New York Brain and Spine Neurosurgery specialize in performing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) procedures.



Laminectomy

Laminectomy is surgery that creates space by removing the lamina which is a thin piece of bone located at the back of each vertebral body that covers and protects the spinal canal. Also known as decompression surgery, laminectomy enlarges your spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. Laminectomies can be performed on all three sections of the spine – cervical, thoracic, and lumbar.

A minimally invasive cervical laminectomy and fusion is a procedure used to decompress and stabilize the cervical spine. This relieves pain, weakness and numbness caused by narrowing of the spinal canal, a condition called spinal stenosis.

Pain in the thoracic (mid-back) region of the spine can be quite problematic. Mid-back pain from spinal stenosis that does not respond to non-surgical treatment options can limit patients’ abilities to perform their jobs or daily living activities. Therefore a minimally invasive thoracic laminectomy is indicated.

A minimally invasive lumbar laminectomy involves removing a portion of the lamina. A micro-laminectomy may include removing bony overgrowths (ie, osteophytes) and ligament tissue compressing spinal nerves at one or more levels of the spine.



Cervical Fusion

Spinal fusion is surgery to join two or more vertebrae into one single structure. The goal is to stop movement between the two bones and prevent back pain. Once they’re fused, they no longer move like they used to. This keeps you from stretching nearby nerves, ligaments, and muscles that may have caused discomfort.

Minimally Invasive Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Minimally invasive anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is a type of surgery for the treatment of symptoms from a herniated disc in the neck. During the procedure, the damaged disc is removed (discectomy) and the spine is stabilized using a bone or artificial graft, or a metal or ceramic plate.



Minimally Invasive Posterior Cervical Fusion

Minimally invasive posterior cervical fusion is a procedure used to relieve neck pain by removing the pressure on pinched nerves that has been unrelieved by conservative measures. During the procedure a titanium cervical cage, about the size of a tic tac, is placed between the facet joints. This lifts the facet joint relieving the pressure on the pinched nerve. Bone graft material is inserted in and around the cage to promote fusion without the use of hardware (screws and plates).





Kyphoplasty

Kyphoplasty (similar to Vertebroplasty) is a medical spinal procedure in which bone cement is injected through a small hole in the skin into a fractured vertebra with the goal of relieving back pain caused by vertebral compression fractures.



Lumbar Fusion

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure used to correct problems with the small bones in the spine (vertebrae). It is essentially a “welding” process. The basic idea is to fuse together two or more vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone. This is done to eliminate painful motion or to restore stability to the spine.

Minimally Invasive Lateral Lumbar Fusion

The minimally invasive lateral procedure for spinal fusion is performed through a small incision in your side rather than your back. This protects the muscles in the back from being cut during the surgery. Minimally invasive surgery may have many potential advantages when compared to traditional open spine surgery:

  • Smaller incisions and smaller scars
  • Less surgical blood loss
  • Shorter hospital stay
  • Less pain and pain medicine during recovery

The spine surgeons at Central New York Brain and Spine Neurosurgery specialize in performing minimally invasive lateral lumbar fusion procedures.

Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)



Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)

Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) is a spinal fusion procedure that fuses the front and back section of the spine through a posterior approach. A Transforaminal Interbody Lumbar Fusion treats spinal instability or weakness by permanently uniting bones of the lumbar (lower) spine. The goals of a TLIF are to decompress (remove the pressure from) the spinal cord and/or nerves, re-stabilize the spine, and prevent further movement and degeneration at the joints in question.




Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF)

A posterior lumbar interbody fusion, called a PLIF, is a surgery designed to stop the motion at the targeted segment of the spine.

A PLIF is done in the lumbar, or lower, spine. Most commonly it is performed on the L4-L5 or L5-S1 segment at the bottom of the lumbar spine.

This surgery may be done to treat lumbar degenerative disc disease, in which a degenerated disc becomes painful. It may also be done for a lumbar spondylolisthesis, in which one vertebra slips forward over the vertebra below it.

A PLIF starts with a three to six-inch long incision in the midline of the back.

The spine surgeons at Central New York Brain and Spine Neurosurgery specialize in performing Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) procedures.



Vertebroplasty

Vertebroplasty is an outpatient procedure for stabilizing compression fractures in the spine. Bone cement is injected into back bones (vertebrae) that have cracked or broken, often because of osteoporosis. The cement hardens, stabilizing the fractures and supporting your spine.



Endoscopic Lumbar Disectomy

Endoscopic discectomy, a common type of endoscopic spinal surgery, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to remove herniated disc material that is causing pain in the lower back and legs (lumbar), mid back (thoracic), or neck and arms (cervical).

The spine surgeons at Central New York Brain and Spine Neurosurgery specialize in performing minimally invasive endoscopic disectomy procedures.



Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy

A Minimally Invasive Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy is a surgical procedure to relieve pain/weakness resulting from a pinched spinal nerve. The surgical procedure is designed to allow for more space for the spinal nerves to pass through reducing spinal nerve root compression.

Typically the patient is under general anesthesia. A small incision about an inch long is made over the treated area. The spine surgeon will use a tubular retractor to access the area, which contributes to keeping the operation minimally invasive. An endoscope is used along with special instruments to remove a small amount of bone to allow access to the nerve root. If the patient’s disc is causing compression of the nerve root, it is carefully lifted and the disc material is removed. This helps take pressure off the nerve root.

A posterior cervical foraminotomy can provide relief of nerve root compression causing pain in the patient with minimal bone removal. The wound is then carefully stitched closed and the patient can go home later that day.

The spine surgeons at Central New York Brain and Spine Neurosurgery specialize in performing minimally invasive posterior cervical foraminotomy procedures.



Non-Surgical Spinal Regenerative Therapy

Before you consider undergoing surgery, be sure to explore the latest alternatives to surgery in the form of regenerative therapy. Regenerative medicine is the new frontier in treating patients with chronic pain and workplace injuries. Regenerative therapy is the process of creating living and functional tissues to repair or replace tissue that are lost due to age, disease, damage, or congenital defects. Alleviate pain with natural treatment options that promote healing and regeneration of damaged tissues. Central New York Brain and Spine Neurosurgery is a leader in central NY for regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy.

Autologous Stem Cell Injection

Alleviate pain and restore degenerating discs with stem cell therapy from Central New York Brain and Spine Neurosurgery, a leader in central NY for spinal health.



A Conservative Approach to Treatment.

The team at Central New York Brain & Spine Neurosurgery will help you decide on the treatment plan that’s right for you, whether this involves a surgical approach, back or neck injection or another procedure. or not. Our approach is to explore the most conservative options first before deciding if surgery is needed.

IN GOOD HANDS

If surgery is necessary, we specialize in minimally invasive surgery that requires smaller incisions in order to decrease patient recovery time. When this isn’t possible, know that our team has the expertise and experience to perform complex procedures with the best possible aftercare and follow up during recovery.

CNY Brain AND SPINE

Email Us

locations

New Hartford, NY

Rome, NY

Canton, NY

Lowville, NY

Herkimer, NY (Opening Soon!)

Schenectady, NY

Monday - Thursday

8am - 4:30pm

Friday

8am - 4pm

Portal Info