Surgical treatment of the spine abroad
Common types of spinal surgery include:
- Foraminotomy is the removal of parts of the bone that compress the nerves between the vertebrae;
- Laminectomy is an enlargement of the opening for spinal nerves, prescribed for spondylolisthesis and stenosis;
- replacement of the spinal disc with an artificial implant;
- Spinal fusion is the fusion of two vertebrae to increase the stability of the spine;
- Discectomy is the removal of a herniated disc.
When treating the spine abroad, these methods are minimally invasive and are performed using intraoperative imaging, arthroscopic procedures, or robotic surgery.
Minimally invasive spine treatment abroad
Traditionally, an open dissectomy is used to remove a herniated spine when a nerve is pinched. Clinics abroad have replaced this traumatic approach with METRx surgery. METRx technology is a tubular retractor that is placed between muscle fibers without damaging them. The muscles do not separate from the bones, as in the standard approach, and the surgeon uses an endoscope to visualize the pinched nerve. METRx disk surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, and the patient is recovering quickly.
Foreign clinics offer to reduce the herniated disc (thereby reducing pressure on the nerve) without surgery. Patients with a certain diagnosis can undergo oxygen-ozone therapy (gas is injected into the hernia) or DiscoGel microtherapy. These percutaneous procedures are performed under the guidance of an MRI scan.
The innovative PASHA method is available for the treatment of chronic back pain. During the procedure, an electrode with a catheter is placed in the area of the pinched nerve root. The electrode blocks pain impulses directed to the brain, and thereby relieves pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs are delivered to the herniated disc using a catheter.
Spinal Robotics surgery abroad
In hospitals abroad, complex spinal surgeries such as spinal fusion, vertebroplasty, and implant placement are performed using the Mazor robotic system. First, a CT scan of the patient's spine is uploaded to a 3D planning program. This allows you to plan each step of the procedure. During spinal surgery abroad, the robotic system helps to control instruments and perform surgery through tiny incisions with high precision. As a result, the risk of improper placement of screws, rods, bone grafts or artificial discs is reduced, accidental pinching of nerves and dangerous exposure to X-rays are eliminated. The patient experiences less postoperative pain and recovers quickly.
