We have your back

At Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance, we have created a spine surgery program that offers you the most innovative, minimally invasive treatments possible. When you come in for surgery through our spine program, you are entering a hospital that strives to provide the highest-quality advanced, comprehensive care.

“From preoperative preparation through surgery and postoperative care, we are building a program that can offer the best possible patient experience,” says Remi M. Ajiboye, MD, medical director of orthopedic spine surgery in the spine program.

Part of what makes us unique, he says, is our emphasis on minimally invasive spine surgery as well as “awake” spine surgery.

“The whole concept is to minimize collateral damage,” Dr. Ajiboye says. “Smaller incisions lead to faster recovery after surgery and less bleeding, complications and scarring. For example, with traditional fusion surgery, the typical hospital stay is three to five nights. But when we use a minimally invasive approach to this surgery, patients can usually leave the hospital within 24 hours.”

In “awake” spinal surgery, he explains, new technology makes it possible for you to avoid general anesthesia and instead receive local anesthesia to numb the surgical area. “This is a great option especially for older patients, because it leads to a faster recovery time, decreased need for narcotic pain medications and avoids the side effect of intubation and general anesthesia,” Dr. Ajiboye says, “and it’s an up-and-coming part of our program.”

Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD, medical director of spine care for neuroscience, leads the other part of the spine program— treating back problems caused by tumors, pain and trauma. As a neurosurgeon, he also specializes in the surgical treatment of movement disorders, epilepsy and other conditions.

“We, too, are focused on a multidisciplinary, minimally invasive approach, because less tissue disruption means there will be less pain and fewer complications,” Dr. Langevin says. “We use minimally invasive procedures mostly for decompression and fusion procedures.”

Other highlights of our care are motion-preservation surgery, which uses artificial disks to allow patients a full range of motion after surgery, and advanced surgical care for cancers of the spine. Surgical cancer procedures are completed as part of a multidisciplinary team approach that may also involve chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Also important, he notes, is that advances in technology now make it possible for you to receive spine disorder treatment that is much more precise. Guided by computer navigation software similar to GPS tracking, surgeons can more accurately place screws, disks and other implants during your surgery.

“We offer the type of care patients would get in a large, cutting-edge university setting, but offer it close to home—in their own backyard,” Dr. Langevin says. “They can have easy access and the comfort of a smaller institution to navigate.”

For more information on spine surgery, call 844-925-0942 or visit www.providence.org/locations/plcm-torrance/spine-institute.