Spine Care

Our facilities were the first to establish a specialized spine program where orthopedic and neurological spine surgeons work together to treat each patient’s condition or injury.

Each year, the neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons at Morton Plant Hospital diagnose and treat thousands of patients with neck and back problems including:

  • Job-related and motor vehicle injuries
  • Arthritis or osteoporosis
  • Strains, sprains or factures

Treatment for spine injuries and conditions usually has three major steps:

  • Treatment begins with comprehensive testing and analysis by our board certified orthopedic and neurological surgeons.
  • Beginning stages of treatment may include prescribed medications and physical therapy, which offer many patients relief from back pain. Lower back pain is a common medical problem, usually coming from the mechanical part of the back, including spinal joints, discs, vertebrae or soft tissues. Less than 1 percent of people with short-term lower back pain have a serious cause, such as cancer or infection. Steroid injections may also be prescribed.
  • Some patients may require surgical treatment.

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

If surgery is required, we offer the best in both surgical expertise and state-of-the-art equipment. Our facility features leading-edge technology including three-dimensional imaging tools and an image-guided surgery system. This combination of expertise and technology allows our surgeons to use innovative minimally invasive techniques to reduce post-operative pain, decrease the need for pain medication and facilitate rapid rehabilitation and recovery.

Minimally invasive spine surgery is a very specialized field that delivers significant benefits to patients with a variety of conditions including spinal fractures, herniated discs and lumbar spinal stenosis. This type of surgery is just one of the options available at Morton Plant Hospital.

Our health care system was one of the first in the region to offer innovative minimally invasive fusion (joining of two vertebrae) and microdiscectomy, a procedure that eliminates pain by removing a section of disc that is stressing the spinal cord or radiating nerves. Our minimally invasive treatments include:

  • Minimally invasive microdiscectomy uses a system of progressing dilating tubes to preserve the muscles while surgically treating disc herniations. This procedure is performed through a small incision in the skin (about ¾ of an inch). The muscles are separated with the dilators, instead of being cut off the bone. With the aid of a microscope, the herniated portion of disc is removed to relieve pressure on the nerves.
  • Minimally invasive posterior lumbar fusion is a procedure that preserves muscles while arresting abnormal motion between vertebrae. It can remove large herniated disc and bone spurs when a microdiscectomy is not surgically indicated. With the aid of microscope, our surgeons can use small dilating tubes to remove the disc and insert screws and rods to fuse a section of the lumbar spine. This technique reduces blood loss, shortens the hospital stay, and reduces trauma to the back muscles, which allows for faster rehabilitation and recovery.
  • Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive treatment for spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis. This procedure uses balloons to gently raise the collapsed vertebrae in an attempt to return them to the correct position and height. The procedure can reduce pain, improve mobility and greatly improve a patient’s quality of life.

Our experienced spine surgeons attend additional spine training programs to perform these specialized procedures. We also participate in clinical studies of new products and procedures.

We are pleased you have chosen Morton Plant Hospital for your spinal surgery. Learning as much as you can about your spine and your spinal procedure in the days before your surgery will help you play a more active role in your recovery. That’s why our health care professionals developed a class as well as a book for our patients who are going to have spine surgery. It is our hope that it will increase your general knowledge of spine health, help you prepare for surgery and guide you through recovery.

Spine Nurse Navigators

To improve continuity of care, our spine program offers nurse coordinators who walk each patient through admission, surgery, pre/post operation and/or treatment process.

After discharge, some patients may need physical therapy. Our rehabilitation centers provide personalized therapy plans for each patient. Your physician may recommend this rehabilitation therapy; it is covered by most government and private insurance plans.

For a free referral to spine surgeon, please visit our online physician finder or call (727) 462-7500. We also offer a preoperative spine class for patients and their families.  

Morton Plant Hospital
Ptak Orthopaedic and Neuroscience Pavilion
430 Morton Plant St., Suite 101
Clearwater, FL 33756