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Groundbreaking endoscopic spondylodesis procedure

PRESS RELEASE

21/04/2021

Athens Euroclinic: Groundbreaking endoscopic spondylodesis procedure

The first endoscopic spondylodesis at the Athens Euroclinic was successfully performed on a 54-year-old patient with L3-L4 spondylolisthesis and weakness of the left quadriceps muscle. The procedure, which is the latest in spine surgery, was carried out by Dimitrios Papageorgiou, Director of Neurosurgery and Head of the Athens Euroclinic Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Department, with the patient being discharged and able to walk on the following day after surgery.

This technique is the gold standard in minimally invasive surgery for spondylodesis, as the procedure is performed using an endoscope through skin sections measuring up to 1cm. Contrary to the current open techniques for spondylodesis, which resulted in significant blood loss, extended hospitalization time and recovery, and a high possibility of complications, using an endoscope offers significant benefits to patients.

Via the endoscope, the integrity of the paravertebral muscles and normal anatomy are maintained, the patients do not lose any blood during surgery, get up on the same day, may be discharged on the first postoperative day and recovery is significantly shorter than other techniques. Furthermore, because it is a minimally invasive method, the risk of complications is close to zero and there are no age restrictions.

The Director of Neurosurgery, Dimitrios Papageorgiou, stated, “Endoscopic spondylodesis is the method of choice in major Neurosurgery Centers abroad, since we can target the exact location of the patient’s problem and correct it, without affecting the surrounding healthy tissue, therefore, drastically reducing the recovery time and the risk of complications.