Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Spine Tumor Surgery, Cervical, Lumbar, Thoracic disc surgery, Neck Pain, Back Pain, Leg Pain, Arm Pain, Numbness and Weakness Surgery

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Spine Tumor Surgery, Cervical, Lumbar, Thoracic disc surgery, Neck Pain, Back Pain, Leg Pain, Arm Pain, Numbness and Weakness Surgery

Jho Institute for Minimally

Invasive Neurosurgery

Department of Neuroendoscopy

Despite advances in the art of brain and spine surgery, the risk of surgery for brain and spinal diseases is still significant. It is even greater for surgery involving skull base tumors or cerebral vascular lesions and complex spinal diseases. Escalating health care costs are another important concern. Ideal neurosurgical treatment should provide patients with cure of the disease or improvement of symptoms, minimal surgical risk, minimal biological disruption, rapid recovery as well as return to employment and cost-effectiveness.

Jho Institute for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery has been focusing on the development of innovative ideal neurosurgical treatments for brain and spinal diseases. Either by the innovation of new surgical treatments or by the modification of conventional surgery, continuous efforts has been made for better surgical care in brain and spinal diseases. Thus, various innovative and minimally invasive surgical techniques have now been applied to patient care. Among these techniques are endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery through a nostril without skin incision or nasal packing, endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery through a nostril, a small nose-bridge incision craniotomy for skull base tumors, an orbital roof craniotomy or superolateral orbital craniotomy through a small eyebrow incision for tumors and aneurysms, a subtemporal approach through a small temple incision for skull base tumors and cerebral aneurysms, and a retromastoid approach for tumors, cranial nerve diseases, and cerebral aneurysms. Postoperatively, patients require only small incisional bandages. Delicate microsurgical techniques which utilize an operating microscope and an endoscope help to achieve successful treatment of brain lesions through small and precise exposure. Requiring a smaller incision and a less extensive exposure, endoscopic surgery has been progressively replacing microscopic surgery. Brain retractors are never used in order to avoid unwanted brain damage. Many of these procedures can be done on an outpatient or short hospital stay basis.

New surgical techniques for spinal diseases have been developed as well. These innovative procedures include a minimally invasive disc-perserving cervical disc operation via anterior foraminotomy, minimally invasive decompression of the spinal cord for cervical stenosis via anterior microforaminotomy, anterolateral or posterolateral approach for cervical spinal cord tumors, minimally invasive endoscopic transpedicular thoracic discectomy, minimally invasive endoscopic lumbar discectomy, minimally invasive endoscopic decompression for lumbar stenosis, novel surgical treatment of C-2 microdecompression for occipital neuralgia, minimally invasive Chiari decompression, endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis, etc. Those operations are performed mostly on an outpatient or overnight stay basis. If required, spinal instrumentation and bone fusion are also performed by minimally invasive techniques.

Disorders and Diseases Treated

Minimally Invasive Innovative Spine Surgery

Disorders and diseases treated at the Jho Institute for Minimally Invasive Innovative Microneurosurgery include:

Spine Diseases

Cervical disc herniation

Cervical stenosis

Thoracic disc herniation

Lumbar disc herniation

Lumbar stenosis

Spinal cord tumors

Occipital neuralgia

Spinal instability

Chiari malformation

Hyperhidrosis

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Disc-preserving Cervical Disc Surgery

Percutaneous Endoscopic Anterior Cervical Discectomy

Endoscopic Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy

Cervical Stenosis Surgery without Bone Fusion

Endoscopic Transpedicular Thoracic Disc Surgery

Endoscopic Lumbar Disc Surgery

Endoscopic Lumbar Stenosis Surgery

Minimally Invasive Spinal Tumor Surgery

C-2 Decompression for Occipital Neuralgia

Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Spinal Fusion Surgery

Endoscopic Chiari Decompression

Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy

Cervical Disc Herniation: Anterior Microforaminotomy, Disc-preserving functional cervical disc surgery which does not

require bone fusion or a brace or collar postoperatively.

Alternative minimally invasive operations are

percutaneous anterior cervical discectomy and

posterior endoscopic foraminotomy.

Cervical Stenosis: Spinal Cord Decompression via Anterior Foraminotomy, functional spine surgery which does not require bone fusion and metal plate-screw implants, or wearing a brace.

Thoracic Disc Herniation: Endoscopic Transpedicular Approach Endoscopic surgery performed through an inch skin incision.

Lumbar Disc Herniation: Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy, either midline posterior or posterolateral approach, Surgery is

performed through a small incision.

Lumbar Stenosis: Endoscopic Decompression via a unilateral foraminotomy with a small incision.

Spinal Cord Tumors: Anterolateral or Posterolateral Approach, endoscopic surgery.

Occipital Neuralgia: Microdecompression of C2, novel surgical treatment for occipital headaches.

Spinal Instability: Minimally invasive endoscopic fusion surgery.

Chiari Malformation: Endoscopic decompression

via a small incision.

Hyperhidrosis: Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy

For referral information or appointment for consultation contact:

Practice Manager: Robin A. Coret

e-mail : Drjho@ahn.org

Tel : (412) 359-6110

Fax : (412) 359-8339

Address : JHO Institute for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery

Department of Neuroendoscopy

Sixth Floor, South Tower

Allegheny General Hospital

320 East North Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15212-4772

Print the Patient Registration form: PDF File WORD FILE

Dr. Jho via e-mail Drjho@ahn.org