Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Offers Faster Recovery for Children at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital

For children experiencing severe back or leg pain caused by spinal conditions, surgery can feel overwhelming for families. But advances in minimally invasive spine surgery for children are changing that experience — allowing many patients to recover faster, with less pain and shorter hospital stays.

At NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital (CHONY) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Taemin Oh is helping bring these innovative surgical approaches to children and adolescents with spine conditions.

In a recent case, Dr. Oh treated Edward, a young patient suffering from severe back and leg pain caused by a herniated disc. When conservative treatments failed to relieve his symptoms, surgery became the best option to restore his quality of life.

Instead of performing a traditional open procedure, Dr. Oh used a minimally invasive spine surgery technique, which allows surgeons to access the spine through smaller incisions while minimizing disruption to surrounding muscles and tissue.

A Faster, Less Painful Recovery

Compared with traditional open surgery, minimally invasive pediatric spine surgery can offer significant benefits for patients, including:

• Smaller incisions
• Less postoperative pain
• Shorter hospital stays
• Faster return to school and daily activities

In Edward’s case, the results were immediate.

Immediately after the surgery, Edward woke up telling me that his back pain and leg pain were completely resolved,” said Dr. Oh. “He was able to leave the hospital on the first day after surgery.

During a follow-up conversation, Edward described the difference he felt after surgery.

It’s a lot better now. I don’t feel any more pain.

Advancing Pediatric Spine Care in New York

For Dr. Oh, the goal of minimally invasive spine surgery goes beyond the technical aspects of the operation.

At the end of the day, the thing that matters most is preserving a patient’s quality of life,” he said. “What excites me most about these minimally invasive approaches is that we can accomplish the surgery while minimizing the stress on the patient and their body.

By bringing minimally invasive pediatric spine surgery to New York, Dr. Oh and the Columbia Neurosurgery team are expanding access to advanced spine care for families throughout the region.

I’m really thrilled that now we are able to provide these minimally invasive techniques to advance pediatric spine care for our patients, their families, and our community.

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Expert Pediatric Spine Care at Columbia Neurosurgery

The Columbia Neurosurgery spine team provides comprehensive care for children and adolescents with a wide range of spinal conditions, including:

• Pediatric scoliosis
• Spinal deformities
• Tethered cord syndrome
• Herniated discs
• Congenital spine disorders

With leading specialists and advanced surgical techniques, Columbia’s pediatric neurosurgeons in New York are committed to helping children recover quickly and return to the activities they love.

Learn more about pediatric spine care and treatment options at Columbia Neurosurgery:
👉 https://www.neurosurgery.columbia.edu/patient-care/specialties/spine-disorders