ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- Many times when people are forced to get surgery they wind up in the hospital for days or even weeks recovering. However, a new procedure is allowing certain patients with back problems to be in and out in a matter of hours instead of days.

Patient Gary Snow said, "Three days after surgery I'm thinking ‘wow I had back surgery,’ it's hard to believe."

It was also hard for Snow to believe how quickly he was able to go home after his back surgery.

Snow said, "I think I got there at 5 a.m., surgery was at 7:30 a.m., 12:30 that afternoon, I was home on my couch."

Snow has the Rockford Spine Center to thank. Doctors are able to do minimally-invasive, out-patient surgery because of advanced technology.

Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Dr. Michael Roh said, "Maximize pain relief, minimize recovery time so the way we do that is by smaller incisions therefore allowing more rapid recovery and faster return to work and play."

It’s almost like the surgery never happened.

Snow said, "(I got) 3/4 of an inch incision and I was told seven years ago I would've had a seven or eight inch incision."

Roh said, "The psychological affects of having a large scar--people feel limited, constantly reminded of what they went through. When it's a small incision often these effects are minimized."

With a smaller scar and a quicker recovery patients can also save money by avoiding long hospital stays and returning to work faster.

Patients best suited for this surgery are people who are extremely active and don't have time to wait for a long recovery. Also patients who may be more sickly and can't handle a large surgery.