Dr. Oscar Ivan Morales Lepe

Orthopedic Doctor Specialist in Spine Surgery / Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit

*Dr. Oscar Ivan Morales Lepe has extensive knowledge in the care and treatment of all spinal conditions, including congenital deformities, degenerative diseases, spinal tumors, and spinal trauma, in both adults and children.

*He continually strive to increase awareness of new advancements in the field by attending meetings and courses to learn about the latest advancements in spinal care and surgery.

*Surgeon Endorsed by the University of Guadalajara.

*Orthopedic Surgeon Endorsed by the Autonomous University of Tabasco.

*Fellowship in Spinal Surgery at the “Dr. Manuel Dufoo Olvera” Endorsed by the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

*Active Member of the Mexican Federation of Orthopedics and Traumatology Colleges (FEMECOT).

*Active Member of the Mexican Association of Spinal Surgeons (AMCICO).

*Cervical Spondylosis.

*Herniated Cervical Disc.

*Herniated Lumbar Disc.

*Kyphosis.

*Low Back Pain (Lumbar).

*Sciatica

*Scoliosis.

*Spinal Cord Injuries.

*Spinal Infections.

*Spinal Osteoarthritis (Spondylosis)

*Spinal Stenosis

*Spinal Tumors.

*Whiplash – Neck Sprain or Strain.

This type of surgery uses smaller incisions than standard surgery. This often causes less harm to nearby muscles and other tissues. It can lead to less pain and faster recovery after surgery.

In general, the goal of minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is to stabilize the vertebral bones and spinal joints and/or relieve pressure being applied to the spinal nerves — often a result of conditions such as spinal instability, bone spurs, herniated discs, scoliosis or spinal tumors.

As opposed to open spine surgery, minimally invasive surgical approaches can be faster, safer and require less recovery time. Because of the reduced trauma to the muscles and soft tissues (compared to open procedures), the potential benefits are:

Better cosmetic results from smaller skin incisions (sometimes as small as several millimeters)

Less blood loss from surgery

Reduced risk of muscle damage, since less or no cutting of the muscle is required

Reduced risk of infection and postoperative pain

Faster recovery from surgery and less rehabilitation required

Diminished reliance on pain medications after surgery

*Surgery for sciatica is usually considered when leg pain and/or weakness is persistent or progressive even after several methods of non-surgical sciatica treatments have been tried. In a few cases, surgery may be considered as the first option.

*Cauda equina syndrome—a medical emergency where nerve roots of the cauda equina are compressed and motor and sensory function in the lower body are lost.

*Tumors, collection of fluid (cyst or abscess), or severe fractures in the lumbar spine.

*Bilateral sciatica—sciatica affecting both legs, may be caused by multiple level disc herniation, severe single level herniation, or central spinal stenosis.

*Infection in the pelvic region that does not respond to medication.

*Microdiscectomy for Sciatica.- Microdiscectomy is a common surgical approach used to treat sciatica that is caused by a lumbar disc herniation

*Lumbar Decompression Surgeries.- A number of surgical approaches are available to relieve various sources of nerve root compression or irritation, such as: Laminectomy, Foraminotomy , Facetectomy.

*The goal of a decompression surgery is usually to relieve pain caused by nerve root pinching. There are two common causes of lumbar nerve root pressure: from a lumbar herniated disc or lumbar spinal stenosis. This type of pain is usually referred to as a radiculopathy, or sciatica.

*A decompression surgery involves removing a small portion of the bone over the nerve root and/or disc material from under the nerve root to relieve pinching of the nerve and provide more room for the nerve to heal. The most common types of decompression surgery are microdiscectomy and laminectomy.

*There are also a few alternatives available to the above two standard procedures, such as an X-STOP which is a possible option instead of a laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis.

*The goal of a lumbar fusion is to stop the pain at a painful motion segment in the lower back. Most commonly, this type of surgery is performed for pain and disability caused by lumbar degenerative disc disease or a spondylolisthesis.

*The primary purpose of back surgery or neck surgery is to correct an anatomical lesion in individuals who doesn´t show any improvement with conservative (nonsurgical) treatment. Surgery is not an option for patients when an anatomical lesion can not be identified.

*Modern spine surgery has made major advancements in both technique and spinal instrumentation/implants over the past couple of decades, but by far the most significant advancement in spine surgery has been better preoperative imaging techniques, which have greatly improved the ability of surgeons to identify accurately and correctly an anatomic lesion as a cause of pain.

Specifically, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan) has revolutionized back surgery. It is most often the best test to identify an anatomical lesion responsible for the patient’s problem.