Dr. Neil Duggal, Neurosurgeon at LHSC, demonstrates the endoscopic procedure using a spine model, alongside operating room Charge Nurse, Nicole Emery and Registered Nurse, Judy Hong.
May 29, 2025
In a breakthrough that brings patients a faster, less painful path to recovery from a range of spinal disorders, the province’s first spinal endoscopic surgery has been completed at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). Performed by LHSC Neurosurgeon, Dr. Neil Duggal on February 19, 2025, this represents an important advancement in care.
Using a slender, tube-like camera called an endoscope to visualize the spine through small incisions, the surgical procedure offers the most minimally invasive approach to treating conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis and other degenerative disc diseases. Spinal endoscopy dramatically reduces tissue damage and post-operative pain compared to traditional minimally invasive surgical techniques. It has the potential to prevent hospital admissions, reduce wait times, and result in quicker recovery times and return to work.
“This is the next step forward for minimally invasive spinal surgery,” says Dr. Neil Duggal, Neurosurgeon at LHSC. “By using an endoscope, we’re able to treat complex spinal conditions with minimal disruption to surrounding muscles and tissues. This results in less pain, quicker recovery, and better overall outcomes for our patients.”
For Ontario’s first patient Marie, the procedure has led to a noticeable difference.
“I was having pain in my back and running down my leg for a number of months, and it became progressively worse in the fall,” says Marie. “It was difficult to walk, and the pain was especially severe when lying down, greatly affecting my sleep. This was the first of two surgeries, and I had virtually no discomfort in my back following the endoscopic surgery.”
A second planned surgery using traditional spinal surgery technique was also performed by Dr. Duggal and his team. It resulted in more post-surgery back discomfort than the first.
“The recovery in February was easier than it was from the traditional surgery – I hardly knew I had been through back surgery,” added Marie. “As a result of both procedures, I am now able to get a full night’s sleep again and can move far more easily. I can stand up straight, and no longer have to walk bent over my walker, which was the only way I could get around in the months leading up to the surgeries.”
The success of this provincial first at LHSC reinforces the Division of Neurosurgery’s longstanding commitment to providing the most cutting-edge surgical techniques to treat patients with spinal disorders.
“As a team, we’re really invested in ensuring that we are continuing to provide the most advanced care available for our patients,” says Dr. Duggal. “Minimally invasive surgery allows patients to return to home only a few hours after undergoing spinal surgery. We’re excited to explore how we can keep pressing innovations in this area, because we know how meaningful these improvements are for quality of life.”