Why International Patients Choose India for Disc Replacement Surgery

Disc replacement surgery

Artificial disc replacement (ADR), also known as total disc arthroplasty or discectomy, is a technique used in surgery to replace a diseased or damaged intervertebral disc, with an artificial disc (usually made of metal or plastic or a composite). It is a replacement of spinal fusion, and it is usually done to alleviate chronic back or neck pain due to a degenerative disc disease when such pain could not be relieved through non-surgical options.

Key Points

Purpose:

• Ease the suffering among old or damaged spinal discs
• Retain the movement of the treated segment (as opposed to fusion, which discards motion)
• Increase accessibility and living standards

Common Indications:

• Degenerative disc disease of the cervical or lumbar back
• Nerve compression (in some cases) by disc herniation
• Pain of over 6 months with attempts of conservative treatments

Procedure Overview:

• Anaesthesia - general anaesthesia is administered.
• Access - A miniature incision is created (front of neck in case of cervical, abdomen in case of lumbar).
• Disc Removal: A careful removal of damaged material in the disc is done.
• Implant Placement - Artificial disc is placed to correlate with that of natural disc.
• Closure & Recovery - Skin and muscles are stitched and patient is transferred to recovery.

Recovery Timeline:

• Length of stay: 1 3 days (cervical ADR occasionally discharge same-day)
• 2-4 weeks Return to light activities
• Complete cure: 3 6 months (location and condition of a patient)

Best disc replacement surgeons

• Dr. Hitesh Garg
• Dr. Sudhir Dubey
• Dr. Sandeep Vaishya
• Dr. Rana Patir
• Dr. Bipin Walia

Factors Affecting Disc replacement surgery cost

In regards to disc replacement surgery, also called an artificial disc replacement (ADR), the overall cost may substantially differ depending on a number of factors at play. The following is a segmentation of the factors that usually determine the price and how these factors apply in specific to India:

Important Cost Factors:

Kind of Procedure

• Cervical OR Lumbar OR Thoracic: Location of the disc also affects complexity. As an example, thoracic (mid-back) replacements are more expensive as compared to cervical (neck) or lumbar (lower back). 

Hospital & Location

• Metro cities such as Bangalore or Gurgaon cost higher in hospital treatments as compared to the smaller ones.

Costs of Implant/Technology

• One of the most significant cost elements is the implants that are artificial discs manufactured of metal and/or plastic.

Expertise of Surgeons & Facilities of Hospitals

• A surgeon with experience of the procedure raises the cost of surgery and comes along with modern state-of-the-art facilities (robotic or minimum invasive procedures) which can achieve better results 
• Premium pricing is also offered by international-standard centers (e.g., Fortis, Medanta, Artemis Gurgaon) 

Cost Components

• Diagnostics, pre-op consultations Pre-post care
• Charges on hospital stay and rooms
• Fees of surgeon, anaesthetist, nursing and staffs
• Prescriptions and post-surgical checks

Patient-Specific Factors

• Increased complexity of the condition, comorbidities, or multi-level replacements might render the procedures time-consuming, requiring extra diagnostics, or prolonged care, which contributes to costs increase.
• Any other extra complications or additional days in the hospital are normally billed separately.

Cervical disc replacement surgery

Cervical disc replacement surgery (also referred to as cervical artificial disc replacement or cervical arthroplasty) is a spine procedure in which a severely injured or degenerated disc in the neck is removed and replaced with an artificial disc implant to allow natural movement in the neck between the vertebrae. It is frequently selected as an alternative to cervical spinal fusion, any time the patient desires to maintain mobility of the neck.

Purpose

• Relieve back pain, leg numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain associated with degenerative disc disease of the cervical region of the spine, cervical herniated discs, or spinal bone spurs pinching nerves.
• Use normal neck function.
• Decrease the potential of stress to other discs in the adjoining vertebrates (which may occur following fusion).

Lumbar disc replacement surgery

Lumbar artificial disc replacement (ADR), or lumbar disc replacement surgery more commonly known as Lumbar Disc Replacement, is a medical procedure in which a diseased disc in the lower back is removed and replaced with an artificial replacement disc to help to restore normal disc height and range of motion. It is a substitute to lumbar spinal fusion, which is supposed to reduce pain whilst maintaining lower-back movement.

Purpose

• SOR: Alleviate chronic pain at the back that is as a result of a degenerative disc disease or disc trauma.
• Enhance performance and preserve a bend, twist, and flexion of the lumbar spine.
• Ease the burden on neighbouring discs (when compared with fusion).

Spinal disc replacement surgery

Spinal disc replacement surgery used to describe the surgery include artificial disc replacement (ADR) and total disc arthroplasty. In spinal disc replacement surgery, a painful or malfunctioning spinal disc is taken out and an artificial disc is put in, in an attempt to restore normal disc height and movement between vertebrae. Depending on the location of damaged disc (i.e., either in the neck or the lower back portion), it may be performed in the cervical spine (neck) or lumbar spine (lower back).

Purpose

• Treat pain and neurological symptoms associated with degenerating disc disease and herniated discs or injury.
• Preservation of natural motion at the treated level as compared to that of the spinal fusion where motion is lost.
• Lessen load on the surrounding parts of the spine and possibly slow down the degeneration.

Advanced disc replacement treatment

Advanced disc replacement treatment is the most recent technologies and concepts of surgical procedures, implant, and perioperative concepts that enhanced the performance of patients with artificial disc replacement (ADR) in both the cervical and lumbar spine. The developments tend toward more preserving motion, extended lifespan of an implant, accelerated healing, or diminishing the risk of complications.

Next Gen Artificial Discs

Artificial implants are now constructed to be as much like the natural biomechanics of a spinal disc in the body:

• Motion-preserving designs - They permit natural bending, rotation and compression.
• Hybrid materials - Titanium or cobalt-chromium endplates with polyethylene or polyurethane in the core of it to make it durable and flexible.
• Self-centering & shock-absorbing mechanisms - Minimize stress on surrounding tissues.
• Mobi-C, Prestige LP, ProDisc-C, ProDisc-L, and ActivL.

Microsurgical & Minimally Invasive Techniques

• Containment of smaller incision (2-4 cm) to cause minimal musical destruction.
• Endoscopic or microsurgery.
• Fewer post-operative pains and an increased recovery time that allows one to resume activities in a shorter period.

Movement Conservation Plan

• Replacement cases (one-level and two-level) - Newly possible even in cervical, as well as lumbar areas.
• Hybrid surgery - Contiguous levels and disc replacement combined with disc fusion.

Robot & Computer-Guided Navigation

• Intraoperative imaging (O-arm, CT navigation) to guide accurate implant placement and robot-assisted arms.
• Decreased risk of misalignment which is known to extend the life of implants.

Enhanced Recovery Protocols (ERAS)

• Exercise and nutrition prehabilitation prior to surgery.
• Mobilization in a few hours of surgery.
• Multimodal analgesia to curb addiction to opioids.

Patient Specific, Individualized Implants

• Synthetic discs made in 3D to fit any anatomy.
• Enhances fit, stability and durability.

Biological Adjuncts

• The study of stem cell treatment and it could be growth factors to promote healing coupled with disc replacement.
• Experimental, but has a potential of being a part of sophisticated ADR procedures in the future.

Factors Affecting Affordable disc replacement surgery

This is a simple outline of the factors that influence the affordability of disc replacement surgery particularly in India where fees are extremely affordable as compared to many of the western countries.

• Type of Disc Replacement
• Hospital Choice & Location
• Implant Brand & Technology
• Surgeon’s Expertise & Team
• Hospital Stay & Post-Operative Care
• Pre-Operative Tests & Evaluations
• Medical Tourism Support

Disc replacement surgery in India by GetWellGo

GetWellGo is a medical tourism operator to India. They collaborate with NABH-accredited hospitals and best specialists and guarantee quality care. Services provided by them involve appointment scheduling, choice of hospital (on criteria of international standards), cost estimations, relationship manager advice and even second opinion arrangements without charging patients a cent.

Why Choose GetWellGo for Disc Replacement Surgery?

GetWellGo is regarded as a leading supplier of healthcare services. We help our foreign clients choose the best treatment locations that suit their needs both financially and medically.

We offer:

• Complete transparency
• Fair costs.
• 24 hour availability.
• Medical E-visas
• Online consultation from recognized Indian experts.
• Assistance in selecting India's top hospitals for Disc Replacement surgery.
• Expert spine surgeon with a strong track record of success
• Assistance during and after the course of treatment.
• Language Support
• Travel and Accommodation Services
• Case manager assigned to every patient to provide seamless support in and out of the hospital like appointment booking
• Local SIM Cards
• Currency Exchange
• Arranging Patient’s local food