Microdiscectomy Cost in India

“The cost of microdiscectomy starts from $4500 (INR 367,000). The microdiscectomy hospitals in India promise unparalleled health treatments at low-cost packages. The patient may go home the same day or have an overnight stay hospital after the surgery.

Microdiscectomy-in-India

The cost of lumbar microdiscectomy surgery in India starts from USD 5500 and may range up to USD 6500 – 7000 depending on various factors. Spinal treatment in India is very economical and the rates are highly competitive in comparison to the cost of same procedure in countries such as the USA, UK, Germany, Singapore, Australia, and many others. 

The affordability of treatment at Indian hospitals is one of the prime reason behind the country’s popularity as a preferred medical travel destinations. A patient from a Western country can save more than 50% on the overall cost of microdisectomy surgery in India, even after including travel, accommodation and living cost in the country. 

The best part is that cost-saving does not mean that the patient has to compromise on the quality. The top spine hospitals in India offer treatment with advanced technology and high-end care at affordable health packages. 

To know more about the prices and package details for different hospitals – send your medical reports and query to care@lyfboat.com. Our team will respond at the soonest with treatment plan and comparative cost analysis for different hospitals.

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Factors that affect the Microdiscectomy cost in India

There are multiple factors that can affect the overall cost of Microdiscectomy surgery in India:

  • Location and quality (accreditation) of the hospital
  • Surgeon’s experience
  • The extent of damage to the disc 
  • Whether any additional procedure is needed

The total cost of lumbar micro endoscopic surgery in India is favourably economical even after adding the expenses for medications, hospital stay, and other expenses. 

How can Lyfboat assist you getting Microdiscectomy in India?

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Lyfboat is a free advisory platform; we do not charge any fees from patients. In fact, we negotiate the price that Indian hospitals offer. In some cases we are able to reduce the cost by negotiating upto 20% of what Hospitals generally offer. We advise the best treatment from the top hospital/surgeon at best price.

Microdisectomy surgery 

Lumbar Microdiscectomy is a commonly performed surgery to remove the herniated lumbar disc that is pressing on a nerve root in the spine. Discectomy means cutting out the disc and can be performed as open discectomy or Micro endoscopically, a minimally invasive technique. Microdisectomy is performed through a much smaller cut than open discectomy and  a thin tube with a camera is used to visualize, access and remove the damaged disk. 

Depending on the requirement for a particular case, the surgery can be removal of one disc (single-level) or more (multi-level). Microdiscectomy has become the gold standard procedure for leg pain and back pain that occurs due to spine problem. As only a small portion of the disc that has been herniated or damaged is removed and the majority of the disc is left intact, the surgery does not alter the mechanical structure of the lower (lumbar) spine.

Who can be a candidate for microdiscectomy surgery?

A patient with spinal problem suffers through different kinds of symptoms based on the type of spinal condition. A micro endoscopic discectomy is effective in treating certain kinds of conditions that cause back pain and leg pain. The doctor initially recommends non-invasive methods such as steroid injection, physical therapy, and medication to relieve pain and improve movement. 

However, when the leg pain is severe and can not be managed with non-invasive methods, surgery is considered to treat the patient. For instance, a patient has difficult in sleeping, working, or perform normal activities, even after pain medication and other treatments, surgery may be recommended before six weeks.

A candidate is recommended for discectomy in the following situations: 

  • The diagnostic and imaging tests such as MRI, CT, myelogram show that the disc is herniated 
  • Severe and persistent pain, weakness, or numbness in the leg or back 
  • Pain in the leg due to a condition called sciatica that is worse than back pain
  • Symptoms that do not improve with treatments such as physical therapy and medication
  • Weakness in the leg and loss of sensation in the genital area, along with loss of control  over bladder or bowel due to cauda equina syndrome

Microdiscectomy surgery procedure

The discectomy surgery is a major procedure that is performed by administering general anaesthesia to the patient. The surgery takes around 1 hour or more, depending on the complexity of the case. After giving the anaesthesia, a breathing tube known as endotracheal tube is put to allow the patient to breathe through a ventilator during the surgery. 

The patient will be given preoperative intravenous antibiotics. 

During the surgery – 

  • The patient will lie in a prone position, i.e. lying on the stomach on an operating table with special padding and supports. 
  • The area (low back region) that is to be operated is cleansed using a special cleaning solution. 
  • The surgeon will make a longitudinal incision of 1-2 centimetre in the midline of the low back, on the area that is directly over the area of the herniated disc. 
  • The special retractors and operating microscope used for the procedure allows the surgeon to visualize the region of the spine. The microdiscectomy is performed with incision of minimal length or no cutting of the surrounding muscles and soft-tissues. 
  • The retractors are used to access the region while an x-ray is done to confirm and identify the appropriate disc in patient’s spine.
  • The lamina is removed, and the protective sac of the nerve root is retracted. An operating microscope is used to visualize and locate the herniated disc. The ruptured portion of the disc is removed with special instruments. Also, the surgeon will remove the bone spurs or a synovial cyst that are pressing on the nerve root. The spinal nerve root is decompressed while the entire disc will not be removed. 
  • After this, the surrounding areas are checked to make sure there are no additional disc fragments remaining.
  • The surgical area is washed out with sterile water and antibiotics. The incision is closed with sutures and the skin might be closed using special surgical glue. This involves leaving a minimal scar and may require no bandage.

Recovery after Microdiscectomy surgery

The patient is transferred to recovery following the operation and then shifted to a normal room. A team of doctors will monitor the blood pressure, heart rate, and other vitals in the postoperative recovery area. Pain medications will be administered according to patient’s record. Gradually the activity level will be increased, ranging from sitting in a chair, walking and other activities. The physical therapist will help the patient along the recovery. Most patients will get discharged home tin a few days depending on the speed of rehabilitation. 

The doctor will schedule a follow-up visit almost 2 weeks after the surgery. Physical therapy is continued on outpatient basis for some people.

The recovery period may vary for 1 to 4 weeks depending on the general health of the patient and underlying disease prior to the surgery. If there is any pain at the site of the incision, it will be managed with prescription pain medications. The pain due to the condition may not get completely resolved immediately after the surgery. It is very important to regularly follow the physical therapy exercises if recommended.

The doctors advise the patient to:

  • Avoid certain activities such as bending at the waist, lifting heavy weights (more than five pounds), and twisting from the waist during the early postoperative period, i.e. the first 2-4 weeks. This is important to prevent a strain, injury or recurrent disc. 
  • Avoid sitting in the same position for over 45-60 minutes in the first few weeks following the surgery. After sitting for 45-60 minutes, patients should get up and stretch or go walk for some time, before sitting down again.
  • After the lumbar microdiscectomy surgery, an exercise program including activities for stretching and strengthening muscles, along with aerobic may also be recommended to help prevent recurrence of disc herniation or back pain.

What are the risks?

Spine surgery is a major operation and as with most surgeries, there are several risks and complications associated with microdiscectomy also. General risks of any surgery include infection, bleeding, blood clots, and allergic reactions to anaesthesia. Some specific discectomy related complications include:

  • A dural tear or cerebrospinal fluid leak. Although, it does not change the results of surgery, the patient might be advised to lie down for a day or two after surgery so that the leak can seal. 
  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is caused due to blood clots that form inside the leg veins and can potentially become a serious condition. The clots can break free, travel to another location such as the lungs, and make lung collapse. It can even lead to death. 

There are methods to treat or prevent DVT, such as 

  1. Get out of bed and walk a little as soon as possible so that blood keeps moving and reduce the chances of clotting. 
  2. Wearing support hose and pulsatile stockings to keep the blood from collecting in the veins. 
  3. Medicines may also be prescribed to prevent clotting.
  • Lung complications. Lungs should be working at their best post surgery for proper healing. If the patient’s lungs have mucus, collapsed area and bacterial infection, it can lead to pneumonia. The medical staff will monitor the lung activity in the recovery room and later encourage deep breathing and coughing often.
  • Nerve damage or persistent pain. Spine surgery has a potential risk of damage to the nerves or spinal cord. This can result in numbness or even paralysis.

Although, persistent pain is most commonly caused by the nerve damage from the herniated disc itself. Sometimes, disc herniations may cause permanent damage to the nerve, that can make it unresponsive to decompressive surgery. In such cases, the doctor may recommend spinal cord stimulation or other treatments to relieve the pain. 

The surgeon will discuss all possible risks and complications associated with microdiscectomy surgery and give presurgery instructions prior to the procedure.

What results can be expected?

The clinical data shows good results for lumbar discectomy in 80 to 90% of patients. The studies indicate that in comparison to non-surgical treatment for herniated discs, surgery has positive outcomes including:

  • Improvement in leg pain (sciatica) from this surgery is more significant than those benefit for people with back pain.
  • Non-surgical treatments are good options for people with less severe or improving pain 
  • More improvement is noticed in people with moderate to severe pain after surgery than those who did not have surgery.

Minimally invasive discectomy techniques has greater benefits in comparison to the outcomes with open discectomy. The advantages of minimally invasive approach for spine surgery include lesser operative time, shorter hospital stay (maximum 1 night at the hospital), minimal blood loss and trauma to the adjacent muscle, faster recovery and return to normal activities. 

Recurrences of back pain 

Recurrence of disc herniation or back pain is not uncommon. Another disc herniation can occur directly after the back surgery or take several years. They risk is often more during the first three months following the surgery. If there is a recurrence of disc herniation, a revision microdiscectomy might be just as successful as the first operation, but a recurrence can put the patient at a higher risk of further recurrences.

There are some things that can be done to prevent recurrence, such as:

  • Proper way of lifting any object
  • Maintaining a good posture while sitting, standing, moving, and sleeping
  • Regular and proper exercise program, as recommended by the therapist
  • Comfortable working environment
  • Maintaining a healthy body weight according to the BMI
  • Following stress management techniques
  • Avoid smoking

Patients with multiple herniated disc recurrences are recommended a spinal fusion surgery in order to prevent further recurrences. The spinal fusion surgery involves removing the entire disc and fusing the level into a single bony structure. It is the most common method to prevent any further herniation of the discs.

For patients who do not have a compromised posterior facet joint and if other criteria are fulfilled, an artificial disc replacement might be considered. In this surgery, the damaged disc is removed and replaced with an artificial one.

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