Hearing the words “spine surgery” can sound overwhelming and scary. You probably start to imagine long recoveries, big scars, and several weeks stuck at home. But endoscopic spine surgery completely changes that story. Using the most advanced minimally invasive techniques in the world, our team at ESINY treats spinal conditions through an incision smaller than 1 cm—using a tiny camera about the size of a pencil eraser.
Endoscopic spine surgery is considered the safest spine surgery currently available, with nearly every patient going home the same day, often with just a band-aid.
What is Endoscopic Spine Surgery?
Endoscopic spine surgery is a minimally invasive way to treat spinal problems without the big cuts and long hospital stays people often associate with spine surgery. Instead of opening up large areas of the back, we use a very tiny incision (less than 1 cm) and a pencil-eraser-sized camera to guide highly specialized instruments directly to the source of your pain. This allows us to address the damaged disc or nerve with complete precision while protecting the surrounding healthy tissue.
Because the approach is so much more gentle on the body, recovery tends to be faster, pain is reduced, and most patients are able to return home the same day, walking out with only a small band-aid covering the incision.
How is Endoscopic Spinal Surgery Different From Traditional Spine Surgery?
This is one of the most common questions we get. Which makes sense, since most doctors outside of our team at ESINY don't have the expertise to perform endoscopic spine surgery.
The biggest difference is how much less invasive it is. Traditional spine surgery requires a very large incision, almost always cutting through muscle, and a hospital stay to recover. That means more bleeding, higher risks, and longer downtime.
With endoscopic spine surgery, the story is completely different. The incision is smaller than 1 cm, bleeding is minimal, and most patients usually go home the same day instead of staying overnight. Some don’t even need general anesthesia, with light sedation and local anesthesia keeping them comfortable without the grogginess or risks of being fully put to sleep. Of course, general anesthesia is still sometimes used, but not everyone needs it.
Traditional spine surgery can take weeks or even months to recover from. That's time off work and away from life that most people can't afford. Endoscopic spine surgery often shortens the recovery by several weeks, potentially giving patients a faster, safer, and more comfortable return to their lives and responsibilities.
What Does Endoscopic Spine Surgery Treat?
Spine pain can show up in the most frustrating ways. For some, it might be a sharp, shooting pain. Other times, it might feel like a constant ache that will not go away or settle down. Each ESINY endoscopic spine surgeon uses cutting-edge procedures to target the exact source of that pain, whether it’s herniated discs pressing on spinal nerves or narrowing around the spinal cord. And because it’s a minimally invasive surgery performed as an outpatient procedure, most people walk out the same day feeling relief they didn’t even think was possible.
We offer endoscopic spine surgery options to treat a wide range of spine conditions, including:
- Back Pain / Leg Pain / Sciatica
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Herniated Disc
- Neck and Arm Pain
- Cervical Spinal Stenosis
- Degenerative Disc Disease / Spondylosis / Foraminal Stenosis
- Thoracic Disc Herniation
Whether you’re dealing with constant neck pain, radiating leg pain, or other debilitating symptoms that interrupt your life, our advanced techniques make it possible to treat the cause (not just the symptoms) through the smallest incision possible.
What are the Benefits of Endoscopic Spine Surgery?
Here’s what sets endoscopic spine surgery apart from any other spine treatment in the world:
- Lower risks and less bleeding, with an infection rate of just 0.001% and ten times less blood loss compared to open surgery
- 95% of patients go home the same day and return to light activity right away, with no hospital stay required
- A faster recovery, often weeks quicker than traditional spine surgery
- Only a small ESINY custom band-aid covers the incision, not layers of bandages
- Skip general anesthesia in many cases, with light sedation and local anesthesia keeping you comfortable instead (general anesthesia is still sometimes used, but as mentioned, not every patient needs it)
- Proven results, with over 30,000 procedures performed across our surgeons’ careers, including treatment of more than 40 spine surgeons
How Do I Know if I’m a Candidate for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?
If you’re living with spine pain and wondering if there’s still hope, you’re not alone. Many of our patients once thought surgery wasn’t an option for them, or that it would be too risky. Most had already tried injections, physical therapy, and even prior surgeries without lasting relief.
This is where things can change for you. At ESINY, we look at you—not just your condition. Every case is evaluated individually, so your treatment is designed around your specific needs. Our goal is to create a precise plan that eases the pressure on your spine, protects your nerves, and helps you move forward with confidence and long-term strength, with the lowest risk and smallest spine surgery possible.
If you've been suffering from symptoms related to spine conditions, we are here to help.
ESINY: The Only Endoscopic Spine Institute in America
At the Endoscopic Spine Institute of New York, our mission is simple: to transform the spine surgery experience. Smaller incisions. Safer procedures. Faster recoveries. More freedom to get back to living your life.
As the only Endoscopic Spine Institute in America, we’ve built our entire practice around this advanced, minimally invasive approach. Our internationally recognized team of neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons has treated more than 30,000 patients—people who, like you, were ready for a different path forward. We’ve also been trusted by more than 40 spine surgeons themselves when they needed treatment, a testament to the level of precision and expertise we deliver every day.
With decades of experience, over 300 peer-reviewed publications, and presentations at more than 500 conferences worldwide, our surgeons are not only leaders in the field, they’re the ones shaping its future. When you choose ESINY, you’re choosing the team that other doctors trust for their own care.
This post was written and reviewed by Sanjay Konakondla, MD. Sanjay Konakondla is a leading endoscopic spine surgeon and a founding partner of the Endoscopic Spine Institute of New York.
ESINY is the nation’s first and only endoscopic spine institute and is solely focused on the smallest spine surgery possible. With the world-renowned neurosurgeons at ESINY and the specialized surgery they have perfected, you can feel confident that you will have the best chance at getting back to the life you deserve with the least amount of surgery.
Call us now at 518 708 6300 or email us directly at contact@esiny.com to schedule a consultation.