Centre For Orthopaedic Spine Surgery

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Hospital in Delhi

The Centre for Orthopaedics Spine Surgery at BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital is a specialised unit offering wide range of services using Minimally Invasive Techniques such as Minimal Access Spinal Surgery, Spine Fusion, and Microscopic /Endoscopic Disc Surgery. The Minimally Invasive technique is used to treat various spine problems such as :

Spine fractures in the elderly which are treated by injecting bone cement into the vertebra (Kyphoplasty) under local anaesthesia, resulting in excellent pain relief and early mobilisation.
Spine deformities like Scoliosis and Kyphosis that are rectified using segmental correction with modern instrumentation techniques under neuro-monitoring.

What Is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery or MISS is a safe and effective technique used as an alternative to traditional open surgical procedures performed to treat patients suffering from spinal disorders.

This type of surgery is performed to achieve high outcomes while stabilising the vertebral bones and spinal joints and/or relieve the pressure being applied to the spinal nerves. If not treated it may result in conditions such as spinal instability, bone spurs, herniated discs, scoliosis, or spinal tumours.

What Are The Indicators For Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

The major indicators that highlight the need for Spine Surgery are:

Inability to perform daily activities
Chronic pain in the back, legs, neck and shoulder
Experiencing utter discomfort while lying down or sitting in the same position
Loss of flexibility and movement
Difficulty in walking (unable to walk more than 500 metre)
Stiffness in the spine
Visible deformity in the spine

What Are The Conditions Treated Under Spine Surgery?

Some of the major conditions treated under Spine Surgery are:

Spondylolisthesis (Degenerative, Isthmic, Dysplastic)
Spinal Stenosis (Central, lateral recess, forminal, extra forminal )
Disc Herniation (Central, lateral recess, forminal, extra forminal )
Osteoporotic Compression Fractures
Deformity ( Scoliosis, Kyphosis)
Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal Cord and Spinal Column Tumours
Craniovertebral Junction Anomalies
Spondylodiscitis

What Are The Different Types Of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

Spine Surgery aims to help patients suffering from chronic spinal disorders that can lead to permanent deformity and prevent one from living a normal life.

Spine surgeries can be of different types:

Spinal Fusion: It is one of the most common spine surgeries that are used to join two or more vertebrae. The surgery involves the use of metallic wires, screws, pins, rods and plates. It includes different type of procedures such as open surgery, minimally-invasive surgery, endoscopic, laser surgery etc.
Discectomy or Microdiscectomy: It is another common spinal surgery that is used to treat patients suffering from herniated intervertebral discs. It helps to relieve the pressure on the nerve.
1. Microsurgical: In this type of surgery, surgeons use a microscope to remove the damaged portion of the disc. It requires small incision usually less than an inch over the spinal canal.
2. Percutaneous Stitches: This type of surgery involves the removal of the disc portion using an endoscopic surgery by making a small incision at the back of the knee.
Laser Surgery: The procedure involves the removal of a small bone from the spine through laser, in order to get rid of nerve root compression which can lead to chronic pain in the back or lower limbs.
Spinal Decompression: It is the standard procedure of providing relief from compressed nerves by decompressing it using Minimally Invasive key-hole approach (microscopic or endoscopic).
Vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty: These types of procedures are performed to relieve the patient from the chronic pain and other problems associated with compression fractures of the vertebrae. These procedures involve the injection of cement through a needle into the vertebrae. The goal is to reduce deformity by restoring height to the crumbled vertebra and provides immediate relief from pain.

What Are The Steps Required For The Preparation Of The Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

The following steps are usually recommended for patients to prepare them for Spine Surgery:

Inform the doctor about the current medication and past medical history so that one can prepare for any complication beforehand
Undergo the entire tests including pre-anaesthetic check-up for evaluation of current health condition, before the surgery.
Ask a family member to accompany the patient on the day of surgery
Arrange for crutches or a wheelchair as one might need them after the surgery
Be both physically as well as mentally prepared for the surgery

What Is The Procedure Of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) also called as less invasive spine surgery is a surgical process that requires a small incision for performing the surgery.

Pre-operative Details

Before proceeding with the surgery the Spine Specialist Surgeon have to make sure that the patient is fit for the procedure. This is done by performing a series of tests and screening process. The patient might be prescribed certain medications, a week, or two before the surgery, to avoid any sort of infection during or after the surgery.

A patient will receive general anaesthesia before moving to the operation theatre and will sleep through the surgical procedure.

Operative Details

Step 1: The doctor will make few small incisions at the affected site
Step 2: A thin telescope-like instrument, called an endoscope is inserted through small incisions in the body. It has a tiny video camera – smaller than a dime attached to its top, which projects the inside view of the patient’s body on a monitor. These images help the doctor to perform complex operations easily
Step 3: The doctor then passes small surgical instruments or robotic arms (during robotic-assisted surgery) through these incisions to perform the surgery by using the best X-ray views of the anatomy of the spine.
Step 4: The doctor closes the incisions with sutures and covers them with surgical tape

Post-operative details

After the operation, the patient has to stay in the hospital for a day or two for monitoring purposes. The doctor might prescribe the patient to take physiotherapy sessions in order to have a fast recovery.

What Are The Precautions One Must Take Before The Minimal Invasive Spine Surgery?

The important precautionary measures one must consider before the surgery are:

Before the surgery:

Lose extra body weight as this can hinder the healing procedure
Avoid eating heavy meals a day before the surgery, as it can lead to nausea and vomiting
Abstain from smoking and drinking
Take all the prescribed medications religiously

What Are The Precautions One Must Take After The Minimal Invasive Spine Surgery?

The important precautionary measures one must consider after the surgery are:

After the surgery:

Avoid sitting in the same position for longer durations (more than half an hour)
Avoid heavy weight lifting
Maintain proper posture while sitting and sleeping
Do not perform rigorous exercises
Take all the medications prescribed by the doctors
Start physical therapy as soon as possible
Do not indulge in sexual activities
Avoid forward bending
Use western toilet system