Invasive Spine Surgery Techniques

Dr. Anders Cohen: Pioneering Minimally-Invasive Spine Surgery Techniques

Dr. Anders Cohen is currently the head of the neurosurgery and spine surgery department at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York. He uses both traditional and modern techniques in treating disorders or conditions affecting the nervous system, the brain and the spine. However, it is through his use of modern techniques that he established himself as one of the leading spine surgeons in the industry.

In the U.S., he is recognized as being the first doctor in New York to successfully perform the eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion or XLIF, a minimally-invasive spine surgery procedure. From then on, he has not stopped innovating in the spine surgery arena, pioneering different types of minimally-invasive surgical techniques, which helped him gain international recognition.

Some of the minimally-invasive spine surgery procedures Dr. Anders Cohen introduced are decompression and correction techniques for treating spondylolisthesis and degenerative scoliosis, endoscopic lumbar decompression technique for small disc herniations, Chiari decompression, and spinal cord detethering. These are performed through small incisions rather than through a single, large, open incision as generally practiced in traditional spine surgery techniques. The use of smaller incisions means less disruption in the patient’s muscle tissues, ligaments, blood vessels and abdominal organs, which translates to less scarring and shorter recovery periods, enabling the patient to be discharged from the hospital sooner.

Prior to carrying out any of the minimally-invasive surgical procedures, Dr. Cohen engages the patient into a discussion of the procedure about to be performed as well as the risks involved. Dr. Anders Cohen assesses the patient to determine if he or she is eligible or passes the criteria required for any of the procedures involved. This pre-surgery assessment is a demonstration of Dr. Cohen’s unique brand of personalized, patient-centric of care. Each patient’s needs are addressed individually in order to achieve optimal results.