Lee Sang-ho with Wooridul Spine Hospital is involved with the creation of a “less painful and more effective” spinal disc treatment through “minimally invasive” spinal surgery.
Lee eschews the usual method of back surgery which involves cutting into the back through skin, muscle, nerves and bone in order to reach the spinal discs. The discs, composed of a jelly-like fibers, are nestled between the vertebrae which they hold together, much like ligaments. When they are damaged in an accident, they can cause a great deal of pain to the injured person.
The method that Lee uses involves creating tiny holes through which he inserts a needle and moves aside organs in order to reach the disks. This greatly minimizes damage to the surrounding tissue. He claims that it’s both effective and has a smaller risk of infection, though requires greater accuracy than other SCI procedures.