We are thrilled to announce the first 2 surgeries were performed at the 
To find out more about the Belmont Surgery Center, please visit their website: William D. Hunter, MD, of Neuroscience & Spine Center of the Carolinas, discusses the prevalence of spine pain and explains the advantages of minimally invasive spine surgery.
TRANSCRIPT:
My name is William D Hunter. I'm at Neuroscience Spine Center in Gastonia, North Carolina. The prevalence of spine problems is massive in the United States. We're talking about the number one reason why patients go see their doctor. People develop back pain, hip pain, leg pain - but they also can develop neck pain or shoulder pain. Another common condition that patients have is what's called stenosis, or narrowing of the nerves. There are ways at which we can try to help with that - either with therapy or injections to temporarily give them relief - but a real cure - a way to relieve that pressure - is a minimally invasive spine surgery to remove that disc that's causing pressure off the nerves. Where should patients go when they have spine problems? I think first and foremost they need to go to their family doctor. After that if they still have the problems they should go see a spine specialist. I really feel it's critical that the patient undergoes formal, conventional therapy and injections prior to undergoing any type of surgery. Nine times out of ten we can get them feeling better without the need for surgery. One of the most minimally invasive spine surgeries that I perform is called an XLIF. The XLIF procedure actually only takes about an hour. That type of operation conventionally used to take four to six hours. This type of procedure has revolutionized spine surgery. People who couldn't play with their grandchildren are now able to do so. People who couldn't ride their motorcycles are now going cross-country riding their motorcycles. This is powerful for us for me to see and to confirm that normally invasive spine surgery is vital to our practice of medicine.