Learn More about Disc Replacement Surgery

Dr.Aashish Chaudhry, 5 mins read

If you are suffering from neck pain or an aching back because of damage to your cervical spine, don’t worry: there are viable treatment options available for you. The best total disc replacement surgeons in Delhi are here for you at Aakash Healthcare, and you can bid goodbye to live in pain after choosing the best treatment options and procedures for you, right here at one of the best hospitals for disc replacement surgery in Delhi. We’ll guide you right from consultation to surgery and a dedicated care team will always be there to assist you along your rehabilitation and recovery.

The department of orthopaedics at Aakash Healthcare offers successful and effective surgeries for the cervical spine, artificial disc replacement, and cervical discectomy surgery. If you’re considering disc surgery and mulling over the aspect of your treatment like the time and cost of cervical disc replacement surgery, get in touch with us and we’ll assist you with anything you require. Read on to under these procedures and how they are quite similar yet not at all.

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)

It is the best-established cervical spine surgery: it is considered the gold standard in spine surgery and this is because it has been performed for many years with ever-increasing efficacy and better outcomes. This surgery is the safest, most effective, and quite simple to perform and offers the best potential recovery. ACDF surgeries are performed in two parts. In the first part, the damaged cervical disc is removed completely (discectomy). After this, a bone graft will be placed over the affected vertebra to help it grow into the backbone above or below. This will remove the potential for any painful movement of the vertebrae later on. The surgeons will access the cervical spine from the front of the neck, which is more convenient, instead of the back. You can get back to your work and day-to-day activities in a few weeks, but full recovery may take a good month or so. The vertebrae will fuse back completely in about three months.

Cervical Disc Replacement

It is also called total disc arthroplasty or artificial disc replacement. In the procedure, a damaged cervical disc will be removed and replaced with a metallic or polymeric prosthetic. The surgeons begin by making a slit in the side of the neck and carefully removing away any tissue. The damaged disc is then removed, along with bone spurs, if any. Then, the prosthetic is precisely inserted and the incision is then stitched up. After this surgery, patients can typically get back to work and some very light activity in about three to four weeks after getting their cervical disc replacement. More strenuous and vigorous activity will have to wait for about six to eight weeks.

Artificial Disc Replacement in the Lumbar Spine

In artificial disc replacement, worn down and/or damaged disc material found between the small bones in the spine (vertebrae) is removed and replaced with an "artificial" synthetic disc. Lumbar disc replacement surgery aims to relieve back pain while preserving the ability to move, relatively more motion than can be achieved through some other procedures like spinal fusion.

Did you know that about 70% to 80% of all people experience some form of lower back pain at some point in life, however, most people do not need surgery to improve their pain? Surgery becomes an option only after lower back pain does not improve after other nonsurgical or conservative treatments.

We advise disc replacements for those patients who have tried all nonsurgical options but still experience pain; for this lumbar fusion surgery is the most common option for treating lower back pain. In case you’re wondering what fusion is; it is essentially a form of "welding" where the aim is to fuse the painful vertebrae so that they can heal into a single, solid pain-free bone.

While many patients get great relief from lumbar fusion, the results of the surgery vary: even if you get treated by the best lumbar disc replacement surgeons in Delhi. In other cases, patients whose fusion surgeries did indeed heal perfectly did not see any improvement in their back pain. Aakash ranks among Delhi’s best hospitals for spine surgery, and with us, you’ll have the best spine surgeons from the field to help you get better but sometimes even successful surgery does not translate to successful outcomes.

Some medical professionals believe this inability to improve after fusion surgery is down to the fact that fusion does not allow normal motion in the spine and for this precise reason, artificial disc replacement that preserves normal motion, has emerged as a viable alternative for low back pain. If you’re considering the cost of artificial disc replacement surgery, or wish to know more about this novel procedure: feel free to get in touch with us.

Also Read: Kneecap Injury & its Treatment