Non- Operative Treatment
First the doctor will examine your various reports and X-rays and MRIs. Then, based on your age, level of pain and overall state of fitness, the doctor you are consulting will make some serious decisions. If he feels that your pain might be relieved with conventional treatment methods, he will not recommend immediate surgery and will prefer that you make use of these treatments to reduce your pain. If however, the doctor observes that you pain is not reducing or it keeps coming back for a period of 3-4 months, he will recommend that you undergo surgery to relieve the pain. The non-surgical options available to you have been highlighted in the pictures alongside.
If your doctor believes that you need surgical intervention, he will use different types of surgeries to help relieve your pain. Some of the surgeries that Dr. Varun Agarwal is an expert at have been highlighted below.
Endoscopic Discectomy
Endoscopic Surgery is a state-of-the-art procedure which has recently been developed and is performed by experienced spine surgeons. Dr. Varun Agarwal is an expert endoscopic spine surgeon and has established the first endoscopic spine clinic in Bareilly. Endoscopic discectomy is a procedure which involves insertion of a small guide wire in the back through a very small incision. A sleeve is put on this guide wire through which the surgeon can access the injured disk and remove the herniated part. The advantage of this procedure is that the post-operative recovery is less, pain after the operation is lesser and the patient even gets to go home the same day. However, depending on the severity of your condition, endoscopic surgery could not be an option for you. To know more about Dr. Varun Agarwal expertise in endoscopic surgery, please visit our page dedicated to it here.
Endoscopic Foraminotomy
This minimally invasive procedure is similar to endoscopic discectomy and Dr. Varun Agarwal is an expert at endoscopic foraminotomy surgery. It involves insertion of a guide wire through a small incision from your back. This guide wire is used as for assistance for insertion of the endoscope through which the foramen is enlarged. This technique is mainly used for cases in which the patient is suffering from spinal stenosis and is for relieving pressure off of spinal nerves. Endoscopic Surgery is a next-geeration procedure that is only performed by experts in spine surgery. For patients, endoscopic surgery is very beneficial as it involves a faster recovery time, less post-operative pain and the patient might even go back home in a few hours. To know more about endoscopic surgery please click here.
Microscopic Decompression
This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure which is performed to relieve pressure and alleviate pain that is caused by pressing of the disk or a bony protuberance on the spinal nerves. In this procedure, a small incision is made on the skin after which the soft tissue is gently put aside. Then, the part that is putting the pressure on the spinal nerves is removed. This minimally invasive approach usually leaves a patient with a minor scar and the patient may even go home the same day as the operation or the next day, depending on the level of pain. Dr. Varun Agarwal will present you with a full post-operative plan so that you are able to take care of yourself after the surgery. To know more about minimally invasive surgery please click here.
Lumbar Artificial Disk Replacement
This is a motion preservation procedure in which an old and worn out vertebral disk is replaced with a synthetic or ‘artificial’ disk. The clinical goal of this procedures to retain more motion of the spine than that allowed by other techniques such as spinal fusion. This procedure is usually performed for patients with back pain caused by one or two problematic disks in the spine, patients with no significant facet joint disease, no prior major surgery on the spine, and patients having no spinal deformity like scoliosis. There are multiple types of artificial disks that are available that vary in cost according to their design and stability. Your doctor will recommend certain types of disks to you based on your anatomic needs. In most cases, patients return home in 1 to 3 days and this timeline depends completely on how well-controlled your pain is and how easily you are able to return to everyday life.
Minimally Invasive TLIF
TLIF stands for Transformational Lumbar Inter body Fusion. It was originally performed as an “open” surgery in which the surgeon makes a midline incision through your muscles but now it can be done minimally invasively and Dr. Varun Agarwal is an expert at performing minimally invasive TLIF surgery. The basic concept behind the surgery is that addition of more bone to the region where the damaged disk was present, allows more stability of the spine and prevents irritation of nerves and therefore sensation of pain. This procedure is termed as ‘fusion’ in which two vertebrae are connected by bone growth. A spacer is inserted into the disk space to restore the normal height of the spine. In the minimally invasive approach, this whole procedure is done through a narrow tube, almost as small as a coin. For any additional support, the surgeon may implant screws and rods in the spine, if needed. Bone graft may be placed on these implants to form sort of a bone bridge. If you want to know more about Dr. Varun Agarwal minimally invasive technique, please click here.