Spinal Fusion Surgery in India

Spinal Fusion Surgery in India can be a good idea if the surgery is too costly or unavailable in your home country.

India is home to high-quality JCI-accredited hospitals and experienced spine surgeons. In this post, we’ll discusses spinal commonly done spinal fusion techniques and top spinal fusion hospitals and doctors in India.

Spinal Fusion Surgery Cost in India

The average cost of spinal fusion surgery in India is $6,500 – $7,800. The cost of surgery may vary depending your situation and on the number of levels in which you need the surgery.

For example, if you need a Laminectomy along with Spinal Fusion, the cost of the surgery may be higher.

In addition, the cost will depend on the hospital you choose, the length of your stay, and your room preferences.

What Is Spinal Fusion?

Spinal Fusion is a spine surgery to connect two or more vertebrae in your spine. It may treat or provide relief from painful symptoms of:

• Herniated Disc (Prolapsed Disc)
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Vertebral Fracture
• Spondylolisthesis
• Spondylosis
• Scoliosis ^[1]OrthoInfo
  Spinal Fusion
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Your doctor may use diagnostic tests like Selective Nerve Root Block (SNRB) to find the source of pain in your leg or back. In some cases, SNRB may also be used to provide pain relief. ^[2]Spine-health
Selective Nerve Root Block Injections
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Spinal Fusion Techniques in India

There are several techniques your surgeon can use to fuse the spine.

They may approach the spine from the front, in which case the surgery is called anterior spinal fusion. If they approach the spine from the back, the surgery is called posterior spinal fusion.

There are also techniques in which the surgeon will approach the spine from your side. Here the surgery may be called lateral spinal fusion. ^[3]Spine-health
Modern Spine Fusion Techniques
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Spinal fusions are mostly done in the cervical (neck) or the lumbar (lower back) regions of the spine.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)

ACDF is an anterior-approach spinal fusion surgery for the cervical(neck) spine.

The ACDF procedure joins two or more vertebrae in the cervical region. It is done in two steps:

1. Discectomy: your surgeon will approach the cervical spine from the front and remove the damaged disc.

2. Fusion: they will place a bone graft in the space where the damaged disc was. ^[4]Mayfield
ACDF Surgery | Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
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ACDF surgery in India may be helpful for patients with degenerative disc disease or herniated disc in the cervical region. ^[4]Mayfield
ACDF Surgery | Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
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In India, ACDF surgery cost you between $6,000 – $7,200. The total may vary as per the patient’s case, the type of implant (bone graft) needed and patient preferences.

Posterolateral Gutter Fusion

This spinal fusion surgery eliminates motion in a painful segment of the spine. The cost of posterolateral gutter fusion in India may lie between $5,150 – $8,000.

The surgery may have the following 3 main steps:

1. Incision – in the middle of the lower back
2. Access vertebrae – To see the vertebrae, your surgeon may pull back obstructing muscle; or may remove bone with procedures like laminectomy or laminotomy.
3. Place graft – Allograft or Autograft is placed along the sides. The surgeon may use titanium screws and rods to provide stability. ^[5]OrthoInfo
   Posterolateral Lumbar Fusion
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Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF)

PLIF is an “interbody fusion” surgery. The average cost of PLIF in best hospitals India is $6,000 to $7,500.

Here the disc between two vertebrae is removed and replaced by a bone graft. With time, the bone graft grows and fuses the two vertebrae into a solid bone.

Here’s how your surgeon may do PLIF:

1. Incision – in the middle of the back
2. Access disc space – To see the disc space and nerve roots, muscles are moved and laminectomy procedure may be done.
3. Remove disc – Some or all disc material is removed.
4. Place implant – A ‘spacer’ or a ‘cage’ containing bone graft is placed in disc space. ^[6]Spine-health
   Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) Surgery
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Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)

TLIF is also a posterior approach to spinal fusion. In India, TLIF surgery may cost you between $6,000 to $7,500.

This surgery is similar to PLIF. Here too, the disc material is removed and replaced with bone graft.

TLIF differs in how the surgeon approaches the spine. In TLIF, they will approach the vertebrae from one side of spine and requires less displacing of nerve roots. As a result, there is less chance of injury to nerve roots. ^[7]Spine-health
Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) Back Surgery
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Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)

In ALIF, the surgeon approaches the spine from the front with an incision in the abdomen. Your surgeon may recommend ALIF to allow better access to the spine or if you have already had spine surgery from the back. ^[8]Mayfield
Spinal Fusion: Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
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Best Spinal Fusion Hospitals in India

Our partner hospitals are JCI and NABH accredited and meet international standards in patient satisfaction.

Best Spinal Fusion Surgeons in India

FAQs Spinal Fusion India

Are Indian hospitals safe for a major procedure like spinal fusion?

To know whether you can trust a hospital, you can check whether they are accredited. Our associate spine surgery hospitals in India are accredited by JCI (Joint Commission International) and NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals).

JCI or NABH accreditations are a gold standard in quality of care, patient safety, and satisfaction.

What is the recovery time for spinal fusion?

Recovery from spinal fusion surgery may take 4 to 6 weeks.

How long is the hospital stay for spinal fusion surgery in India?

You may need to stay in the hospital for 3 to 5 days.

After your discharge, an additional stay of at least 7 days is required. During this, your doctor can address any potential problems.

How much does hotel stay cost in India?

Staying in a mid-range budget hotel and three meals a day in India may cost you $35 – $55 per day (in USD). Some hotels/restaurants accept international credit and debit cards. Carry Indian currency, Indian National Rupee(₹) with you for ease of payments.

What is a posterior spinal fusion?

Posterior spinal fusion means that the surgeon will approach your spine by making an incision in the back. Spine conditions in the lower back region usually need a posterior approach.

Some commonly done posterior fusion techniques include:

1. Posterolateral Gutter Fusion
2. Posterior Interbody Lumbar Fusion
3. Transforaminal Interbody Lumbar Fusion

Another way to approach the spine is from the front of your body. This approach is called anterior spinal fusion. The anterior approach is usually followed for spinal fusion in the cervical region.

What is a cage in spinal fusion surgery?

Your surgeon may install a cage in your spine if you need Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LIF).

The cage is used to replace the removed disc. It is filled with bone graft. Over time, bone graft grows with the body’s natural healing process and fuses two vertebrae. ^[10]Spine-health
What Are Cages and Why Is Your Surgeon Putting One in Your Spine?
“Anterior lumbar interbody fusion is a surgery…”
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What is the success rate of spinal fusion?

Up to 80% of spinal fusion patients report relief from pain post-surgery. The chance of no pain relief is higher if spinal fusion is done in more than two levels.

Fusion between the vertebrae is successful for 90% of spinal fusion surgeries.

What is the difference between TLIF and PLIF?

Both PLIF and TLIF are interbody fusion procedures done from the back. TLIF is a relatively new surgical technique. It requires less displacement of muscle and tissue surrounding the surgery site.

In TLIF, the surgeon can directly access the intervertebral space through an incision made on one side near the center of the back.

What are inter-body spinal fusions?

During Inter-body spinal fusions, some portion or the entire disc is removed and the disc space is replaced by an implant. The implant may be a cage, spacer or a bone graft. ^[11]University of South California
Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) & Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)

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Commonly done inter-body spinal fusions are Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion(ALIF), Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF), and Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion(TLIF).

What are the different types of grafts used in spinal fusion surgery in India?

Autograft – Patient’s own bone

Other names: autologous bone or autogenous bone graft

Advantage: Maybe more successful than Allograft

Disadvantage: Surgical wound at the site from where the graft was removed.

Allograft – Harvested bone from tissue bank

Other names: Cadaver bone

Advantage: No additional surgery required for the patient

Disadvantage: Lower chance of successful fusion

Why is Laminectomy done along with Spinal Fusion?

Laminectomy surgery creates space and provides view to the spinal canal by removing the lamina.

Your surgeon may need to perform Laminectomy along with Fusion if the bone is pressing a spinal nerve or to gain access to the disc space. ^[12]Mayfield
Laminectomy
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Is it safe for me to fly back after spinal fusion in India?

Discuss with your doctor before you fly back. Sitting for long during flight can increase the chance of clotting.

You can prevent clotting by staying hydrated, stretching during flight, and by graduated compression stockings. ^[13]NHS
When can I fly after surgery?
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References:

1. OrthoInfo: Spinal Fusion
2. Spine-health: Selective Nerve Root Block Injections
3. Spine-health: Modern Spinal Fusion Techniques
4. Mayfield: ACDF Surgery – Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
5. OrthoInfo: Posterolateral Spinal Fusion
6. Spine-health: Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) Surgery
7. Spine-health: Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) Surgery
8. Mayfield: Spinal Fusion – Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
9. Mayfield: Laminectomy
10. University of South California: Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) & Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)
11. Mayoclinic: Laminectomy
12. NHS: When can I fly after surgery?