{"id":10847,"date":"2026-07-08T11:04:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T02:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/?page_id=10847"},"modified":"2026-07-08T11:06:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T02:06:37","slug":"endoscopic-spine-surgery","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/endoscopic-spine-surgery","title":{"rendered":"Endoscopic Spine Surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Endoscopic Spine Surgery<\/h2>\n

Information on Endoscopic Spine Surgery<\/h3>\n

Endoscopic Spine Surgery (UBE: Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy)<\/h4>\n

Two incisions, measuring 3 mm and 8 mm, are made. The procedure is performed while observing the surgical field with an endoscope inserted through the 3 mm incision, and instruments such as a drill are used through the other incision. This surgical technique is currently spreading worldwide, particularly in Asia, and our hospital began introducing it in 2025. Compared with MED, which we have performed to date, this technique is even less invasive.<\/p>\n

The advantages include:<\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  1. Surgery can be performed through small incisions.<\/li>\n
  2. Damage to the muscles and other tissues in the posterior part of the spine is minimal.<\/li>\n
  3. Surgery can be performed close to the nerves.<\/li>\n
  4. The risk of infection can be further reduced.<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n

    These are some of the major advantages. The greatest benefit is that patients can return to society earlier. Eligible conditions include lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spinal canal stenosis. However, this procedure is not suitable for all cases, so please visit our hospital and consult with us.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n \"Unilateral
    \n <\/a><\/p>\n
    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    Microendoscopic Discectomy (MED)<\/h4>\n

    Lumbar disc herniation improves or heals in most cases with conservative treatment. However, surgery may be indicated when leg pain is extremely severe, when weakness develops in the leg, or when symptoms do not improve despite more than three months of conservative treatment.<\/p>\n

    By introducing a state-of-the-art full high-definition spinal endoscopic system, our department performs safer endoscopic hernia removal surgery, known as MED. Spinal endoscopic systems with full high-definition capability are installed in only a limited number of hospitals in Japan.<\/p>\n

    There is almost no bleeding during surgery, and because the wound is closed with medical tape, suture removal is not necessary. Patients can begin walking exercises from the day after surgery, and the hospital stay is usually within one week. Early discharge is possible, but patients who wish to undergo rehabilitation may continue training until they feel confident.<\/p>\n

    Spinal endoscopy offers several advantages: the skin incision is small, approximately 2 cm; damage to soft tissues such as the back muscles is minimal; and surgery can be performed under a bright, magnified view of the nerve tissue. Another major feature is that the use of an oblique-viewing endoscope allows a wider surgical field to be seen. This surgical method is especially effective for athletes and younger patients who wish to minimize scarring and recover quickly.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n \"Microendoscopic
    \n <\/a><\/p>\n
    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    Microendoscopic Laminectomy (MEL)<\/h4>\n

    Lumbar spinal canal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal canal, the passageway for the nerves, becomes narrower with aging. Surgical methods such as laminectomy and spinal fusion have long been used to treat this condition. However, in recent years, microendoscopic laminectomy (MEL) has increasingly been performed to reduce the burden on patients. MEL is a surgical procedure that uses a spinal endoscope to widen the narrowed spinal canal.<\/p>\n

    The most distinctive advantage of MEL is that it is minimally invasive because an endoscope is used. Since the skin incision is approximately 2 cm, the surgical scar is less noticeable, recovery is faster, postoperative pain is milder, and the risk of infection is lower. As a result, patients can be discharged earlier and return to daily life and work sooner.<\/p>\n

    On the other hand, MEL also has limitations. Cases involving extensive spinal canal stenosis that require removal of a large amount of bone, or cases with marked spinal deformity that require fixation with metal implants, are not suitable for this procedure. In general, MEL is limited to cases in which one or two levels require treatment.<\/p>\n

    The difference from MED is that MEL requires more bone removal, resulting in slightly greater blood loss and a longer operating time than MED. However, compared with conventional surgical methods, these factors would not necessarily be considered disadvantages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Endoscopic Spine Surgery Information on Endoscopic Spine Surgery Endoscopic Spine Surgery (UBE: Unilateral Bip […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-gairai-kano-en.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10847"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10847"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10848,"href":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10847\/revisions\/10848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heartfull.or.jp\/kano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}