I was pursuing my first year internship of BPT, when I first
met Puneet, tall (6’2’’) handsome, an IIT passed out computer engineer. I was
attracted to him the moment I saw him. I was very young and the most
complicated cases seemed most attractive. Yeah, Puneet was my first patient and
I was his therapist. He had an accident on bike, hurt his spine and suffered
from qudriparesis.
India spends a lot of their time on road. Like Puneet, they can
also be a potential victim of road traffic accidents (and definite victim of loads
of pollution). Spinal injuries are the most disabling but common form of accident
outcome one has to bear with. Over 200,000 spinal injuries happen here every year.
As the times have changed, so is the Spinal
cord surgery in India. The previously dangerous to perform procedures are
coming about easily and complication free. The technology has renovated the
surgical outcomes on all parameters
·
Precision
·
Recovery
·
Results
Prime amongst other technological advancements is the 3D printing technology being used
commonly for better access into the spinal structure for creating patient
specific implants for spinal surgery candidates. Artificial intelligence in Neuro surgery uses most commonly used
surgical techniques in the form of software platforms to predict near proximate
results of effectiveness of the surgery before the surgery even starts.
Since we are talking about spinal implants, you would be
pleased to know that numerous flexible
and human like material made spinal implants have advanced and are being
used with unbelievable clarity/appearance while on an X-Ray, CT or MRI during
the surgery and later. Spinal preservation surgeries can be initiated through
bone growth initiating proteins (BMP) for highly brittle spine. Even in
preoperative cases, BMP induction has known to improve post-surgical implant placement
to a great extent.
From perspective of accuracy, a better view is made
available by spinal direction finding equipment
so that each procedure takes place with proper visibility through an X -Ray or on
a computer screen.
While mentioning the advanced spinal surgical techniques,
it’s imperative that we discuss the robotic
surgeries (surgeries by machines held by doctors) that exclude errors and provide
more access to the surgery area. This technique is used worldwide for managing
lower back and leg pain in older adults with degenerative lumbar spine especially
in spinal stenosis treatment.
I am a big fan of the fact that how minimally invasive
surgeries have renovated the operative field to the core. Worth mentioning here
is the endoscopic spinal surgery for
spinal stenosis treatment with extreme
patient safety. Just not tissue preservation, this form of spinal stenosis treatment
has put forth the pain free side of
the surgical outcome. This means the patient is not just able to walk, but walk
absolutely pain free, a hope for our young patients.
A damaged or destructed tissue can be replaced by manmade
near human disc tissue with almost same function as the natural disc.
This bit will remain incomplete without stating the revolution
in the anesthesia techniques brought in particularly to spinal stenosis surgery in the form of conscious sedation. You can check with patient for both sensation
and movement, right at the operation table. Apart from surgical techniques in
spinal management, there are a few extraordinary medicines and agents (tranexamic
acid and orthobiologics) that are lately being employed during surgeries to
ensure extremely limited loss of blood and proper bony fusion.
You know what the best part is; the patients who have
exhaustively tried all methods, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation will now not
have to wait for their lives to restart. The advancement in technology has
brought forwards another safer, resumed and quicker side of spinal surgeries, a
new hope for patients like Puneet and many more. Being a part of the system and
following the procedures very closely from decades, I am proud of the
modernization bringing transformation to the field of Neuro surgery.
