Endoscopic Spine Surgery in West LA / Westwood

If you live in West LA or Westwood and an MRI has shown a herniated disc or a pinched nerve, you have most likely been told that surgery means a multi-inch incision, a hospital stay, and weeks off work. That has not been true for years — at least not for the right candidates. Endoscopic spine surgery is the most minimally invasive surgical option for many of these problems, and Dr. Kambiz Hannani — a UCLA-trained, board-certified spine surgeon — has been performing endoscopic procedures for over two decades. For the right West LA patient, going home the same afternoon and returning to a desk job within a week is the realistic outcome.

The Westside angle is straightforward: Dr. Hannani completed his orthopedic surgery residency at UCLA, then his Spine Surgery Fellowship at St. John's in Santa Monica under Dr. Rick Delamarter. For Westside patients who proceed with surgery, the operation is typically performed at Saint John's Medical Center in Santa Monica — about a 10 minute drive south of Westwood — or, for selected outpatient cases, at the Advanced Surgical Center of Beverly Hills. The training is UCLA. The operating room is close to home.

There is also a real reason this matters specifically for West LA: endoscopic spine surgery is a sub-specialized technique that not every surgeon performs routinely. Many fine surgeons on the Westside still default to microdiscectomy or open techniques because that is what they trained on. If your problem can be solved through an 8-millimeter incision instead of a 1-inch one — with a same-day discharge instead of an overnight stay — the difference in early recovery is real.

What is Endoscopic Spine Surgery?

Endoscopic spine surgery is a category of ultra-minimally invasive procedures that use a thin tube (endoscope) with a camera and light source to access the spine through a single small puncture — typically 7 to 10 millimeters wide, about the size of a pencil eraser. The surgeon watches the procedure on a high-definition monitor and uses specialized micro-instruments passed through the same tube to do the actual work.

Compared with traditional open spine surgery (which uses a 4 to 6 inch incision and dissects through layers of muscle) or even microsurgery (which uses an operating microscope and a 1 to 2 inch incision), endoscopic surgery causes dramatically less tissue damage. Less tissue damage means less pain after surgery, less blood loss, lower infection risk, and a much faster recovery.

Common Endoscopic Procedures

Not every spine procedure can be done endoscopically — but the list of what can is growing every year. The most common endoscopic procedures Dr. Hannani performs include:

• Endoscopic discectomy — removal of a herniated disc fragment compressing a nerve, in the lumbar (low back) or cervical (neck) spine

• Endoscopic foraminotomy — opening up the bony tunnel where a nerve exits the spine, relieving pinched-nerve pain

• Endoscopic laminotomy / decompression — relieving spinal canal narrowing (stenosis) without a large open laminectomy

• Endoscopic rhizotomy — targeted treatment of facet joint nerves causing chronic back pain

Endoscopic vs. Open vs. Microsurgery: A Real Comparison

A patient with a typical lumbar herniated disc has three reasonable surgical options. Here is the practical difference:

• Open discectomy — 3 to 4 inch incision, muscle dissection, often a hospital stay, 4 to 6 weeks before desk work, 8 to 12 weeks before heavy activity. Largely outdated for routine herniated discs.

• Microdiscectomy — 1 inch incision, less muscle damage, usually outpatient, 1 to 2 weeks before desk work, 4 to 6 weeks before heavy activity. The most common modern option.

• Endoscopic discectomy — 8 millimeter incision, almost no muscle damage, outpatient with same-day discharge, often back to desk work within a week, 3 to 4 weeks before heavy activity. The least invasive option.

For a single-level herniated disc in a healthy patient, the endoscopic approach gives outcomes equivalent to microdiscectomy with meaningfully faster recovery. For more complex spinal problems — multi-level stenosis, instability, prior failed surgery — open or fusion surgery may still be the right answer.

Why West LA Patients Choose Dr. Hannani for Endoscopic Spine Surgery

The Westside has no shortage of excellent spine surgeons, and we are the first to acknowledge that. The reason West LA, Westwood, Brentwood, Sawtelle, Mar Vista, Cheviot Hills, and Century City patients still seek out Dr. Hannani specifically comes down to four things. First, the training pedigree: orthopedic surgery residency at UCLA, Spine Surgery Fellowship at St. John's in Santa Monica under Dr. Rick Delamarter. Second, more than 20 years of experience performing the full endoscopic spectrum since completing that fellowship. Third, the operating location: surgery available at Saint John's in Santa Monica, about 10 minutes south of Westwood — close to home, in a hospital where the OR team knows his technique. Fourth, an honest, conservative-first consultation style that resonates with the academic Westside patient base.

A surgeon whose first instinct is "what does this patient actually need" — not "what can I bill for this week" — is what most West LA patients are looking for. Dr. Hannani will tell you honestly when an endoscopic approach is the right answer, when a microdiscectomy or fusion is more appropriate, and when surgery is not yet indicated at all.

Where Surgery is Performed for West LA Patients

For Westside patients, endoscopic procedures are typically scheduled at Saint John's Medical Center in Santa Monica — about a 10 minute drive south of Westwood and a familiar facility for many West LA residents. Selected outpatient endoscopic cases may also be coordinated at the Advanced Surgical Center of Beverly Hills, which is convenient for patients in the Beverly Glen, Century City, and Beverlywood corridors. Same-day discharge means you sleep at home in West LA the night of surgery rather than waking up in a downtown hospital bed.

The initial consultation is at the West Covina office (about 45 minutes east via the 10), but for West LA patients we keep travel to a minimum: imaging can be reviewed remotely first, and most patients only make the consultation drive once. Pre-op clearance, surgery, and post-op visits stay close to home on the Westside.

A Patient Story

A 36-year-old Sawtelle restaurant owner came in with seven weeks of severe right leg pain shooting from his low back down the outside of his right calf — classic L5 nerve root distribution. MRI showed a sequestered disc fragment at L4-L5 compressing the nerve. He had already failed two epidural steroid injections and was missing service. He underwent an outpatient endoscopic discectomy at the Advanced Surgical Center of Beverly Hills on a Tuesday morning, was driven home to Sawtelle that afternoon, was off Norco within 48 hours, and was back on the line at his restaurant the following Monday. Six days, start to finish.

Who is a Candidate for Endoscopic Spine Surgery?

The best candidates generally have:

• A clearly defined, single-level problem (one herniated disc, one pinched nerve, one stenotic level)

• Imaging that matches the symptoms — leg pain in the L5 distribution with an L4-L5 disc herniation, for example

• Failed at least 6 weeks of conservative care (physical therapy, medications, often an injection)

• No significant spinal instability or major deformity

• No history of major prior surgery at the same level (this can sometimes still be done — case-by-case)

Patients who are not endoscopic candidates are not stuck — Dr. Hannani offers the full range of spine procedures, from microdiscectomy and decompression to artificial disc replacement and fusion. The right operation is the one matched to your specific problem.

What Recovery Looks Like

For a typical endoscopic lumbar discectomy:

• Day of surgery: 30 to 60 minute procedure under sedation or light general anesthesia. Walking within an hour. Discharged home the same day — back to West LA that afternoon.

• Days 1-3: Mild soreness around the small incision. Most patients off narcotics within 48 to 72 hours.

• Week 1-2: Most patients return to a desk job. Driving usually permitted within a week (off narcotics).

• Weeks 3-4: Light exercise, walking, gradual return to normal activity.

• Weeks 6-12: Return to heavy lifting, sports, and physically demanding work.

Risks of Endoscopic Spine Surgery

No spine surgery is without risk. Endoscopic procedures share the same general risks as any spine surgery — infection, bleeding, nerve injury, dural tear (small leak of spinal fluid), and the possibility that symptoms do not fully resolve. The endoscopic technique generally has lower rates of these complications than open surgery because of the smaller working corridor and reduced tissue damage. The most common technical limitation is that some pathology turns out, intraoperatively, to need a slightly larger approach — Dr. Hannani will discuss this possibility honestly during your consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions from West LA Patients

Are you affiliated with UCLA Medical Center? Dr. Hannani is UCLA-trained — he completed his orthopedic surgery residency at UCLA — but he does not currently hold surgical privileges at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. We want to be straightforward about that. The training is UCLA; the operating hospital for West LA patients is generally Saint John's in Santa Monica, where he completed his spine fellowship.

Where will my endoscopic surgery happen? For most West LA patients, at Saint John's Medical Center in Santa Monica — about 10 minutes south of Westwood. Selected outpatient cases may also be coordinated at the Advanced Surgical Center of Beverly Hills. Either way, you will be home in West LA the same evening.

How long is the drive from Westwood to your West Covina office for the consultation? Roughly 25 to 30 miles via the 10 East — typically 45 minutes outside of rush hour. Most West LA patients only make the consultation trip once or twice; surgery and follow-up stay on the Westside.

How does endoscopic compare to the microdiscectomy I was offered at another Westside practice? Microdiscectomy is an excellent operation and the right answer for many patients. The endoscopic approach uses a smaller incision (about 8 mm vs. about 1 inch) and disrupts less muscle, which usually means a faster early recovery. For a single-level herniated disc the long-term outcomes are comparable. Bring your MRI to a consultation and Dr. Hannani will tell you honestly which approach fits your anatomy best.

How do I schedule a consultation? Call our office at 626-939-5900 or visit our contact page. Bring any prior MRI imaging on disc if you have it — this lets Dr. Hannani assess whether you are an endoscopic candidate at the first visit.