Disc Replacement Surgery (Cervical/Lumber)

The spinal cord is made up with the linear alignment of adjacent cervical vertebrae. The cervical discs are placed in the hollow spaces between the vertebrae which are also known as intervertebral spaces. Cervical discs provide support to the neck and enable the flexibility for optimum head movements. It also functions as a shock absorbent making our cervical spine flexible enough to endure stress and load.

When even a single disc gets damaged due to a severe trauma or jerk it can become very painful. In some cases the disc gets dislocated from its original position causing stress on the central spinal cord.

In cervical disc replacement procedure the degenerated and damaged disc is replaced with an exclusively made artificial disc device.

In what condition one requires a Disc Replacement Surgery?

Discitis- Inflammation of the cervical disc
Scoliosis- An abnormal lateral spinal curve
Herniated Disc- Displacement of the cervical disk
Disk rupture and disc degeneration- Infection in the disc

Symptoms of Cervical Disc Problem

Neck Pain- One of the first and most common symptoms is pain in the neck area. The pain that we can associate with the stiffness of neck can be a sign of cervical disk problem. Sometimes the intensity of pain increases and can last up to few hours to even some days.

Nerve Pain- This pain goes along the shoulder to the arm, hand or even fingers. It can be of sharp intensity and is felt only in the nerve of one side of the body.

Neurological Symptoms- Unusual sensations such as tingling, weakness or numbness in the area of shoulder, arm, hands or fingers can be a sign of neurological symptoms.

Movement makes the pain worse- The pain that is caused by the degenerative disc is in first place aggravated by the movement itself. Although, it gets alleviated when the person rests for some time.

The two common types of disc replacement surgery are-

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) - This procedure is conducted from the front side of the neck. The steps in surgery involve- removing the disc that is causing problem, decompressing the nerve root, and inserting a bone graft or a metal device that is fixed to recover the normal disc space.

Cervical artificial disc replacement- This surgery simply involves the extraction of the disc that is diseased and replacing it with an artificial disc. The surgery basically aims at recovering the normal spinal motion.

The Non-Surgical Treatment Options?

There certainly are various non-surgical treatment options but it depends on the severity of symptoms and what the doctor suggests after proper diagnosis. Some of the non-surgical treatment options are-

Making certain modifications in everyday activities. Some activities are more strenuous on the neck which should be avoided or totally eliminated to soothe the pain. Eating healthy food, avoiding smoking, and drinking enough water is also recommended for maintaining a good disc health.

Taking medications or injections for pain management- Injections such as cervical facet injection and cervical epidural injection are used for relieving pain in the targeted area. Other than that over the counter medications can also be taken such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Ice and heat therapy- An ice pack or a heated gel pack can be applied on the affected area to relieve pain to a certain level.

Physical therapies- This includes various forms of neck and stretching exercises. It should be administered with the proper guidance of a trained health specialist and physical therapist.

Manual manipulation- The cervical spine can be superficially adjusted by manual methods that are performed by chiropractor or any other qualified health professional. Prior to manual manipulation it is mandatory to undergo a proper physical examination only after which it can be determined if you will be prescribed for manual manipulation or not.

Disc Replacement Surgery Cost in India

Disc Replacement Surgery Cost may vary depending upon the level of disc required the surgery. It also varies depending upon hospital and doctor who is doing treatment.

Each hospital has their own set of infrastructure and facilities and so cost of disc replacement surgery in India also varies. For best rates, you can contact our medical support team in free today and get best cost of prostate cancer treatment in India.

recovery Time

The patient is mostly discharged from the hospital within 2 to 4 days time. Before leaving from the hospital the patient is provided with guidance on various techniques to avoid any damage till the time of complete recovery. After three weeks of surgery, one can resume back to the normal activities.

The approximate success rate of disc replacement surgery is 98%.

Best Doctors For Disc Replacement Surgery In India View All

Dr Yash Gulati

Head of the Department, Joint Replacement, Sports & Spine Orthopedic Surgeon

CONSULTS AT

Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi

EXPEREIENCE :
38+ Years SURGERIES :
32500+