In a process called, Coblation, doctors create a high-energy plasma field at the tip of the SpineWand, which breaks down the tissue in the immediate area. The second step is called coagulation. As the SpineWand is removed from the disk, it generates heat, which shrinks or contracts the center of the disk. Doctors say the Perc-D SpineWand is less invasive than many other back surgeries. Only a tiny one millimeter incision is needed.
Patients only require local anesthesia and there are no stitches.
Recovery is immediate, with patients walking immediately after surgery. The SpineWand isn t for patients with spinal stenosis, extruded disks, or degenerative disk disease. A disk is a soft, spongy pad located between each of the vertebrae in the spine. The disks act like shock absorbers and allow the spine to bend. In a herniated disk, some of the nucleus pushes through the outer covering and presses on the spinal nerves.