Lumbar Microdiscectomy Abroad

Lumbar Microdiscectomy Cost Package:
{The surgery cost covers all medical & logistics costs at the destination}
International Destinations: India, Jordan, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey

Compression of the nerve root in the lower back (Lumbar Spine), due to herniation (i.e. bulging) of the lumbar intervetebral disc material into the spinal cord, causes pain in the leg which radiates down, and also causes tingling, weakness and numbness in the legs. These set of symptoms are often clinically referred to as ‘Sciatic Pain’.

Lumbar microdiscectomy is a surgery, which involves the removal of a small part of the lumbar vertebra to relive the nerve root being compressed by the prolapsing intervetebral disc material. The procedure is recommended only for patients with radiculopathy (i.e. radiating pain to the limbs). The surgery is not meant to treat back pain. Similar to any other spinal procedure, this procedure requires a specialized team of neurosurgeon and orthopedic surgeon to work in tandem, for effective management of the case. Some of the international medical destinations, which provide spinal surgical treatment at affordable costs, whilst maintaining high and international quality standards, include India, Jordan, Turkey and South Korea, in the Asian Continent and Mexico in the North American Continent.

When is a Lumbar Microdiscectomy Required?

• Anatomically, an inter-vertebral disc is a semi-liquid substance located between two vertebra, primarily designed to redistribute pressure and forces incurred during the movement of the spinal column while sitting, standing, and lifting. The disc basically acts as a shock absorber
• Repetitive bending, twisting or injury tends to increase the stress on the inter-vertebral disc material, which gradually extrudes or finds its way out though the outer ring and pressurizes the nerve root.
• Surgical intervention is a radical method and it is recommended only in cases of extreme pain, loss of functions and numbness in the lower limbs. Occasionally, nerve compression may result in the loss of bladder and bowel functions, in which case, surgery needs to be conducted on an urgent basis.
• Conventional and non surgical management methods are preferred for mild to moderate intensity of pain and symptoms. However, if the pain and symptoms persist after six to eight weeks of treatment with NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), Lumbar Mircodiscectomy is recommended.

Preparing for Lumbar Microdisectomy:

• Conservative treatment is given for sometime with NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs) and other painkillers to alleviate pain. However, if the patient doesn’t respond to this form of treatment for more than six weeks, a surgery is conducted. ( however in extreme cases of pain and loss of bowel and bladder functions, surgery is imperative)
• Concurrently physical examination and imaging studies like MRI, CT scan or X-ray, helps the physician understand the inter-vertebral disc(s) involved and the extent of pressure on the surrounding nerve tissue.
• The Lumbar Microdiscectomy procedure is most often conducted as an OPD procedure, however in certain older patients, it requires at least one day of post operative hospitalization

Lumbar Microdisectomy: The Procedure

• For the procedure of Lumbar microdiscectomy, a small incision is made on the middle of the lower back, near the vertebra that is involved.
• The back muscles (erector spinae), which run vertically, are moved out of the way to get a clearer view of the nerve root. This allows the surgeon to gain entry into the spine after removing the membrane that covers the nerve roots.
• The surgeon then uses an operating microscope to visualize the nerve root clearly
• A small portion of the joint bone is removed, the nerve root is gently moved to the side and the underlying disc material is excised and removed.
• After the excision of the disc material, all the structures are replaced and the wound is closed. Since none of the ligaments, joints or muscles are removed or cut during the procedure, the mechanical structure of the spine remains unaltered.

Post-operative Care after Lumbar Microdiscectomy:

• Complete bed rest for at least a few days after the procedure is recommended
• On certain occasions the surgeon may restrict stressful movements like twisting, bending, lifting, for the first few weeks after the surgery.
• A physical therapy is recommended after the spine surgery, with emphasis on stretching, bending and other spine movements. The objective is to strengthen the spine muscles to prevent a recurrence of disc herniation.
• The Microdiscectomy procedure is intended at reliving the pressure on the nerve root, which is created by the prolapsed inter-vertebral disc material. However, the surgery doesn’t repair the damaged inter-vertebral disc, which is permanently weakened. Hence, the patient is advised to take great care and prevent undue stress to the spine to avoid re-herniation.

Success Rates of Lumbar Microdiscectomy:

The success rate of Lumbar microdiscectomy surgery ranges from 90% to 95%, with a probability of about 5% to 10% patients developing a recurrence of the disc herniation. Almost 90% of the patients return to their normal functions within three weeks after the surgery.

Risk and Complications of Lumbar Microdiscectomy:

Similar to any surgical procedure, Lumbar Microdiscectomy also carries certain chances of risks and complications, though these are very rare. These include,

• In about one to two percentage of the cases, the dura mater, which covers the spinal cord may tear, which in turn may result in the leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. It, in no way affects the outcome of the surgery and is self limiting and heals within a couple of days.
• Occasionally damage to the nerve root may take place, while conducting the microdiscectomy procedure.
• If the nerve roots supplying to the bladder and bowel are affected, it may result in bladder and/or bowel incontinence
• Other common complications of the surgery include bleeding and infections

Lumbar Microdiscectomy in South Korea

State of the art medical equipments and technology, internationally trained and highly qualified medical teams and competitive medical care costs are some of the reasons for the increasing inflow of medical tourists to South Korea. With internationally accredited hospitals, South Korea is expecting a boom in its medical tourism market in the next few years and provides stiff competition to other medical tourism destinations like Singapore and Malaysia, in the Far East.

Lumbar Microdiscectomy in India

India is the cheapest medical tourism destinations in the world, with JCI accredited hospitals providing medical care at one fifth the cost. In addition, Indian System of Medicine (i.e. Ayurvedic Medicine) in recent years has been acclaimed internationally to manage and treat several spinal and muscular problems, without the need for surgical intervention. This has resulted in a boom in the wellness and integrated care industry in the country and attracts several hundreds of medical tourists annually.

Lumbar Microdiscectomy in Mexico

With a strong advantage of being the closest country to the United States of America, Mexico provides considerably low cost medical care while maintaining good quality of services. Travel to Mexico, is preferred by many Americans, in comparison to traveling 20 long hours to Asian medical tourism destinations. Further regional proximity has promoted significant similarities in culture and practices, which creates a homely atmosphere for many US medical tourists visiting Mexico.

Lumbar Microdiscectomy Tumors in Jordan

Lumbar Microdiscectomy is a difficult spinal surgery which needs to be conducted in the presence of a multi-disciplinary team of surgeons. Jordan has medical infrastructure which is comparable to the Western countries, which is one of the primary reasons for attracting flocks of medical tourists from across the globe for low cost and high quality of medical care.

Lumbar Microdiscectomy in Turkey

Turkey is augmenting its physical infrastructure, including health and medical infrastructure, as it prepares to gain entry into the European Union. Amidst these improvements in infrastructure, Turkey, has laid specific quality control protocols for healthcare institutions in its country, to meet the medical care standards laid down by the European Union. These positive changes are increasingly drawing several medical tourists from around the world to Turkey to seek good quality of medical care at affordable rates.

Related links:

Spine Fusion Overseas
Cervical Microdiscectomy Abroad 
Peripheral Nerve Surgery 
Cervical Disc Replacement Abroad
Spinal Decompression Abroad
Artificial Spinal Disk Replacement Abroad

Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates affordable Cervical Microdiscectomy abroad at many international locations including Mexico, India & Spain. Fill out the free estimate request form for a free quote & more information.