Dr. Hemant Bhartiya, from Jaipur, is a well-known Neuro and Spine Surgeon. With the experience of more than 30 years, he has performed about 6000 neurosurgeries. He pursued MBBS and MS from SMS College, Jaipur. He did MCh from Grant Medical College, Mumbai. Some of the major surgeries by him include Endoscopic Brain & Spine Surgery, Anterior Surgical Approach to Cervical Spine Lesions, Artificial Disc Implants in Cervical Region, Stereotactic Surgery, Tran-nasal Approach to Pituitary Tumours, and Odontoid Screw Fixation. He is recognized by the media many times for treating many dignitaries and Polo players. Several national and international journals are published by him. He has been honored with Raja Pajjavan Dev Award for his outstanding contribution to Neurosurgery. In Jaipur, he was declared an Outstanding Young Person by the Mansingh Junior Chamber. For his Social Work, he was felicitated by the All India Shri Jain Ratan Hiteshi Shravak Sangh. He is associated with Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur.
Medical tourism is increasing in India because of high-quality medical treatments, affordable costs, and qualified and experienced doctors. When patients travel to India for their treatment, they will be amazed by the hospitality and they can find numerous best neurosurgery hospitals in India that have international accreditations. Apart from this, there are countless reasons why India is the best medical tourism destination.
What is Cervical Disk Replacement Surgery and why it is needed?
The cervical spine in our body is made up of 7 bones called cervical vertebrae. They are stacked on top of each other forming the neck area. Between these cervical vertebrae, there are cervical discs that form cushions. They play the role of shock absorbers that allow the neck to move freely. It acts as a protective tunnel for the upper part of the spinal cord to pass through. The spinal nerves inside it supply the upper body with sensation and movement.
Your spinal cord or spinal nerves feel pressed by the vertebrae or cervical disk when the space between vertebrae narrows down. This also happens due to wear and tear or cervical disk degeneration. It begins to collapse and bulge with age. As a result, pain, numbness, or weakness occurs. In such a case if the pain is prolonged and symptoms do not respond to nonsurgical treatment, disk surgery may be recommended by a neurosurgeon.
You can consult the best neurosurgeons in India for this surgery. The surgeon removes a diseased cervical disk and replaces it with an artificial disk. Disk replacement surgery allows more movement. It creates less stress on the remaining vertebrae than traditional cervical disk surgery.
Symptoms of Cervical disk disorder
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headache
- Pain that travels down from neck to shoulders or into arms
- Weakness in shoulders, arms, hands, or legs
- Numbness in the arm
What happens in a cervical disk replacement surgery?
Before the procedure starts, an intravenous line is started to provide fluids and medications. This procedure is usually done under general anesthesia that makes you fall asleep. Medication may be given through the IV. A tube is also inserted into the throat to protect your airway and supplement your breathing. The surgery may last a few hours.
- Heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen level are continuously observed through a monitor
- The neck area is cleaned and an incision of one to two inches is made on the side or front of the neck.
- The cervical disk to be replaced is removed and an artificial disk is secured in that empty disk space.
- Using absorbable sutures (stitches) under the skin, the incision is closed. The skin is then carefully closed with sutures that minimize scarring.
- A small dressing is applied over the incision. To restrict the motion a rigid or soft neck collar may be put on your neck.
Taking care of yourself after the surgery
You will have to continue with intravenous fluids until you can drink well with your mouth. Once you can drink normally your surgeon would guide you about your diet. Taking the medication on time will help you recover fast. For few days you will be advised to wear neck support. Your physical therapy may start after a few weeks and gradually you will be able to return to your normal activities.
Takeaway
Feel free to ask your health care provider to tell you what you should do before your surgery. Tell your surgeon about any medications you take at home including herbal supplements if any. If you or someone in your family has any history of reaction to general anesthesia, share it with your surgeon. It’s better to stop smoking well before surgery and avoid smoking for a time after surgery. Your surgeon may instruct you to have nothing to eat or drink after midnight on the night before the procedure. These are a few small things to be taken care of as they leave an impact on your health.
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