Orthopedic Spine Surgery Treatments

Dr. Leonel Hunt: Expert Spine Surgeon

Because the spine affects and is affected by many physical conditions, Dr. Leonel Hunt has acquired a great depth of knowledge of the entire musculoskeletal system. As a spine surgeon in Los Angeles, Dr. Hunt specializes in the treatment and correction of spinal disease so he can apply his advanced surgical procedures, performed with advanced imaging technology and precision techniques, to the entire range of spinal conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about spine surgery, including what to expect and who the best candidates for back surgery are.

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Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a malformed, sideways curvature of the spine that most often occurs just before puberty when the body is experiencing growth spurts. This condition is often mild and without pain but it can be disfiguring, and in some cases, the spine may continue to distort.

When scoliosis is severe, it usually continues to progress, and surgery is considered to prevent the condition from worsening. While there is no cure yet for scoliosis, surgery can make a big difference in the reduction of symptoms and slowing the progression of the disease.

Little girl smiling while sitting down outside

Recurring Back Pain

Chronic back pain can have many causes and can manifest in either the upper, middle, or lower back. Back pain is usually associated with arthritis, nerve and/or muscular conditions, or degenerating discs and may have been the result of a genetic propensity or earlier injury. Dr. Leonel Hunt uses cutting-edge diagnostic tools and advanced investigatory procedures to determine the cause of the back pain, so it can be targeted with surgical procedures to handle the underlying causes and ideally completely handle or significantly reduce the pain and halt further degeneration.

Sciatica Nerve Problems

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. When a spinal disc slips, it often causes compression on this nerve in the lower back that results in pain anywhere from the hip to the bottom of the leg. Surgery is considered an option when the pain is uncomfortable and persistent over time. It is also important to catch this early enough so that the slipped disc does not cause further degeneration.

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Degenerative Disc Disease

This condition comes about when the discs between the vertebrae become thinner and lose their natural cushioning. This can occur anywhere along the spine but is most common in the neck and lower back. It can happen due to age, genetics, or injury.

Diagnosis is based on medical history, physical examination, and an analysis of the symptoms and circumstances that led to the condition. Surgical treatment can include the following:

Artificial disc replacement. Recent innovations in spine arthroplasty have made this procedure much more viable with discs that mimic the complex range of movement.
Other surgical interventions depend upon the specific issues the patient is suffering from.
Unless the case is severe, nonsurgical options can often be applied, at least initially. Pain management, back braces, and acupuncture have all met with a degree of success.

Minimally Invasive Back Surgery

Because there have been huge advances in medical imaging and its coordination with surgical procedures and techniques, Dr. Hunt can often focus on the exact point on the spine that needs to be addressed and create far smaller incisions. This avoids much of the tissue damage done by older techniques and makes a significantly simpler and shorter recovery possible.

Spinal Tumors

A tumor is a growth of cells or mass that continues to grow and create pressure in the surrounding areas. Tumors in the spinal cord can produce symptoms over a wide area of the body and usually need to be treated immediately. Tumors outside the spine may grow slower with no symptoms but may eventually cause nerve damage. Because there are a number of spinal tumor types and because they are often related to other ongoing medical issues, proper diagnosis is critical.

Complex Spinal Disease

Dr. Hunt is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon and is recognized as one of the top spine specialists in the country. His primary research includes innovative treatments for complex spinal disorders, and he has performed thousands of successful procedures. The spine is functionally associated with the entire nervous system and most of the body’s activity. This means that a spinal disorder may have roots in multiple disorders that are interacting in a degenerative way.

Spinal deformities, tumors, infections, accident trauma, and disc and bone degeneration can, separately or in combination, lead to many of the issues presented in patients. It takes the level of experience, training, and skill present in Dr. Hunt to navigate to the root cause or causes of spinal disease and develop a procedural plan to correct or relieve it.

Is Orthopedic Surgery What You Need?

Dr. Hunt does not recommend surgery when other less invasive solutions may produce relief for his patients – and he offers a wide range of options other than surgical intervention. Dr. Hunt believes in as conservative an approach as possible. Because of his level of experience, you can get a very clear understanding of what your medical issue actually is, how it may progress if left untreated, and your options to resolve the condition.