SAN DIEGO (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Experts say as many as 80 percent of us will have a back problem at some time in our lives. Many people will need surgery for it, but few will want to take that step. A surgery that's easy on the patient would be a welcome change, and now, it's possible.

As a respiratory therapist, Thomas Bell does a lot of pulling and bending. He has scoliosis, which made his work and his life a big pain -- mostly in his back. "It had gotten to the point where the pain was becoming unbearable, and I had dealt with it for like 20 years," Thomas says.

Instead of standard surgery, which is painful with a long recovery, Thomas chose an easier option offered by neurosurgeon William Taylor, M.D.

"The surgery has been made much more easier for the patient," Dr. Taylor, of University of California, San Diego, tells Ivanhoe. "Now the incision is one, to two, to three centimeters long, which is just enough to get the retractor into that space."

That retractor makes the tiny incision possible. Surgeons insert a small device and expand it to operate inside the body. The surgery is done from the side so there's no need to cut through the abdomen, aorta and other vital body parts.

Dr. Taylor says, "The length of surgery has gotten shorter because we don't have to do the large dissection to remove all the muscles and expose everything." Also, if surgeons come too close to delicate nerves, they are alerted so they can work around them.

"Since the pain is much less, narcotic rate has gone way down. They're recovering much faster. They're back to their normal activities quickly and safely," Dr. Taylor says.

Thomas' wife, Hollie MacTavish, says she's glad to have her husband back. "He's much more of a relaxed, happier person, because he's not dealing with that constant stress of the pain all the time, so it's been great."

Thomas says, "It's hard to explain. It's like; It's Heaven." He now enjoys life's simple moments  -- pain-free.

With this new surgery, patients are out of the hospital in one night, rather than the five nights required with standard back surgery. Dr. Taylor says some people may not be good candidates for this, but most will do just fine. He says young and older patients alike can be treated with this technique.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Jeffree Itrich
Public Information Officer
University of California, San Diego
200 West Arbor Dr. MC 8230
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 543-6427
jitrich@uscd.edu