Nearly one in 10 Americans are living with chronic back pain so serious it impacts their ability to perform everyday activities. Many opt against surgery, fearing large incisions and long recovery times associated with many traditional procedures. But the benefits of robotic and minimally invasive surgical techniques are now allowing Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) spine surgeons to repair a wide range of spine conditions through key-hole incisions, and giving patients with debilitating back pain more options than ever before. Although not everyone is a candidate, minimally invasive options are available to surgically repair herniated discs, synovial cysts, lumbar stenosis and other complex conditions of the spine. Compared to traditional open surgery, minimally invasive techniques offer many advantages, including: shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, less damage to surrounding tissue, lower risks of infection and complications. A podcast interview with Dr. Vaziri  is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhh0NAfLNBw&t=441s.