Spine Surgery

Spine, also known as vertebral column or the backbone protects the spinal cord and supports the head. It also provides attachment place to the ribs and the back muscles. Spine is made up of small bones called vertebrae which are serially arranged. These bones are grouped into cervical (neck area), thoracic (chest area or upper back), lumbar (lower back), sacral and coccygeal vertebrae. There are 24 articulating (flexible joints) vertebrae in cervical (7 vertebrae), thoracic (12 vertebrae) and lumbar (5 vertebrae) area. There are 5 sacral vertebrae fused to form a single bone called sacrum and 3 to 5 more fused coccygeal vertebrae to form Coccyx or the tail bone. There are total 33 vertebrae.

These vertebrae are separated by fibrous discs called intervertebral discs that act as cushion or shock absorbers between vertebrae. Spinal disc consists of two parts. Outer thick and strong ring shaped part is called Annulus fibrosus which is a fibrous cartilage surrounding the inner gelly like soft substance called Nucleus Polposus.

Hernia is the bulging of an organ or a part of it beyond the cavity or the place which normally accommodates it. Herniated disc refers to the bulging or protrusion of the spinal disc beyond the space between the vertebrae, which usually contains it. This condition is referred to as "Slipped disc" in layman's terms.  

When outer part of the disc degenerates, the inner part bulges out of it and puts pressure on the nerve roots or the spinal cord causing symptoms of varying intensity.

In several patients, small bulge of the disc recovers without any medical intervention. Spine surgery is usually recommended when all non surgical treatment modalities fail to offer relief even after 6 weeks of treatment. Diagnostic tests should also substantiate that the condition can be treated effectively through surgery.

Types of spine surgeries that can be done to treat herniated disc are:

Open discectomy- Most suitable type of surgery for treating herniated disc. It involves the removal of the herniated bulge of the disc that is pressing on the nerve or the spine and treats the spinal stenosis as well. It is done under general anesthesia.

Endoscopic Microdiscectomy- Minimal invasive procedure done to treat hearniated disc. The goal of the surgery is the same as that of the Open discectomy i.e., to remove the bulging disc and relieve the pressure on the nerves or the spine. However, in Endoscopic Microdiscectomy, small incision is used and an endoscope is used to perform the surgery. Also, the back muscles and tissues are spared in this procedure, unlike that in Open discectomy. Here, the back muscles and tissues are separated to access the surgical site. Your specialist will determine the type of surgery most suitable for you after your clinical examination and evaluation of your medical reports.

Percutaneous Discectomy-This procedure decreases the size of the herniation. Here, a special tool is used to remove the bulging disc by heating or scraping. It is not as effective as Open discectomy.

The below two procedures are usually recommended for very large herniated discs or in case of spinal stenosis due to arthrosis. The purpose of the surgery is again the same that is to relieve the pressure being put on the nerve roots or the spinal cord due to herniated disc.

Laminotomy- A part of the Lamina is removed. Lamina is a thin part of the vertebra that encloses the spinal cord.

Laminectomy- Whole lamina of the affected vertebra is removed along with the neighboring thickened tissue.

HealthcaretripIndia is a name that is counted amongst the prominent medical tourism facilitation companies in India for facilitating spine treatment from best spine hospitals of India. We help provide different spine treatment packages that include Lumbar Laminectomy, Disc Nucleoplasty, and Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) spine surgery amongst several others.