Bangalore based BGS Global Hospitals, part of the Global Hospitals Group, recently launched percutaneous day care treatment for cervical and lumbar disc prolapse. Innovative percutaneous treatment for disc prolapse offers miraculous relief from pain and other symptoms. It is a scarless procedure with no hospitalisation required and has minimal discomfort with dramatic increase in functional ability and early return to normal work.

This technology is based on the coblation principle wherein a spinal wand (an electrode) is passed into the centre of the nucleus of the disc. With the radio frequency current, a series of channels are created by which disc material is shrunken and aspirated out. The tissue breaks down into elementary molecules and low molecular weight gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen etc. This relieves the compression effectively.

The cannula through which the micro-machined tipped spinal wand is inserted is just 3 mm in width, the size of a tailor’s awl. This small diameter prick for performing the entire procedure is what makes it a preferred option for treatment of disc prolapse.

Dr Arun L Naik, consultant neuro and spine surgeon, BGS Global Hospitals said, “There is a rapid increase in spine problems among the younger generation today owing to their lifestyle and working habits. innovative technology like this is the need of the hour.”

Five to 10 per cent of the population have slipped disc. In 90 per cent of these cases the disc prolapsed is contained or limited to the disc space and are not suitable for the traditional discectomy surgery involving the complete removal of the diseased disc. The open surgery is an overkill leading to unsatisfied results and complications. In such clinical circumstances, percutaneous treatment also known as disc nucleoplasty has emerged as the best alternative. Conventionally the disc prolapse is treated with bed rest and analgesics but with limited relief.

Dr N K Venkataramana, vice-chairman and chief neurosurgeon, BGS Global Hospitals who has sufficient experience in performing this procedure added, “Spinal surgery is fast becoming a major sub speciality in neurosurgery. Disc nucleoplasty is an innovative percutaneous method of healing disc disease. Disc prolapse can occur in lumbar as well cervical region causing low back pain, radiating pain and neck pain respectively. Related symptoms are excruciating pain, numbness, tingling sensation in hands and legs, burning and weakness of the limbs. The patient will have restricted movement, walking, bending and doing normal day to day activities becomes very difficult. The severe pain results in incapacitation leading to loss of man hours.”

With this even disc nucleoplasty is also now available at BGS Global Hospitals. The advanced neurosciences institute at BGS Global Hospitals has procured the latest high end technology in coblation in association with Arthrocare of USA and disc nucleoplasty facility is now available.

Professor Achim Luth, a spine surgeon from Germany said, “We conducted a disc nucleoplasty workshop at BGS Global Hospitals in association with the neurosurgery team lead by Dr Venkataramana. The aim of the live surgery workshop which was attended by over 40 neurosurgeons and spine surgeons from all over the country was to offer adequate training in this technology. This procedure is highly targeted and offers excellent clinical success. It is thermally safe with no tissue necrosis. BGS Global Hospitals is the first hospital in Karnataka to procure this high end technology. Very few centres in India are performing this procedure though it is being used successfully in other countries.”

BGS Global Hospitals is a 500-bed multi-speciality tertiary care hospital with centres of excellence in neurosciences, hepatology and multi organ transplantation, cardiac sciences, urology and nephrology, gasteroenterology, minimally invasive and bariatric surgery, orthopaedics, oncology, critical care and trauma, paediatrics etc.