Spine surgery

Minimally invasive spine surgery uses smaller incisions (often 1-2 cm), specialized instruments, and advanced imaging to access the spine while preserving muscle and soft tissue. Rather than cutting through muscles, they are gently separated. This approach is designed to result in less post-operative pain, reduced blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and faster return to daily activities compared to traditional open surgery.

Procedures are typically scheduled within 2-4 weeks of your consultation and quote approval, depending on your availability and surgical needs. Your 1-hour consultation allows thorough review of your condition.

Disc replacement (arthroplasty) preserves motion at the treated level by inserting an artificial disc, while fusion is designed to stabilize two vertebrae by joining them together. Disc replacement may be preferable for younger, active patients with healthy adjacent discs. Your surgeon will recommend the best option based on your specific condition, anatomy, and lifestyle goals.

Many spine conditions can be addressed with minimally invasive techniques, including herniated discs, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), degenerative disc disease, vertebral compression fractures, spondylolisthesis, and certain types of spinal instability. During your consultation, Dr. Massicotte will evaluate your imaging and determine the most appropriate approach.

Recovery varies by procedure and individual factors. Many patients go home the same day or next day after minimally invasive procedures. Walking is typically encouraged within hours of surgery. Return to desk work may be possible within 1-2 weeks, while more physical activities generally resume in 4-8 weeks. Your surgeon will provide a personalized recovery plan.

No referral is required—you can book a consultation directly with Pathway. Bringing recent imaging (MRI or CT scans) is very helpful for your surgeon to assess your condition. If you don't have recent imaging, we can help arrange it. Consultations are scheduled for 1-hour time slots to allow thorough discussion of your condition and all treatment options.

There is no national benchmark or CIHI target for spine surgery, so published waits are fragmented. Provincial portals and surveys consistently show months from referral to consultation and further months from decision to surgery for elective spine procedures, and nerve symptoms do not pause while you wait. At Pathway, consultation is typically within 1–4 business days and surgery 2–4 weeks after quote approval.

By a neurosurgeon. Dr. Eric Massicotte is a Staff Neurosurgeon at Toronto Western Hospital (University Health Network), an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, and Medical Director of the Back & Neck Program at Altum Health. Both specialties perform spine surgery; what matters is spine-specific training and volume, and a neurosurgeon treats the spinal cord and nerve roots as his primary specialty.

Yes. Pathway treats spine patients from every province in Toronto. Send MRI or CT images and reports first; the virtual consultation confirms whether a procedure fits your diagnosis before any travel is planned. Pathway then arranges flights, accommodation, and post-operative follow-up around the surgical date. See the out-of-province surgery guide.

MRI or CT images and reports, a medication list, prior treatments such as physiotherapy or injections, and a short description of your pain pattern, numbness, weakness, and what you can no longer do. Progressive weakness, numbness, or balance changes should be flagged, because they change the urgency of the review.