Live Discussion with Dr. S. K. Rajan
Questions doctors asked during the Jivo Masterclass on Making Spine Surgery 99% Safe, taught by Dr. S. K. Rajan, Chief - Neuro Spine Surgery & Additional Director - Neurosurgery, Artemis Hospitals, Gurugram, India, on . Written by Jivo Healthcare from the transcript of the session, drafted with AI assistance and edited by the Jivo team.
Do you have provisions for doing spine surgeries for children with neural tube defects?
Asked by Dr. Navala Gabriel
Yes. We have specialist spine surgeons and paediatric surgeons, and I myself do a lot of spine surgery in children: those with neural tube defects such as meningocele, Chiari malformation, or tethering of the spinal cord, which can cause weakness of the legs. We also operate on children with scoliosis, hemivertebra deformities and tumours of the spine. We treat these patients from the age of 6 months to 18 years.
Answered by Dr. S. K. Rajan
What does treatment for a spine problem cost?
Asked by Dr. Buffa
The cost of surgery at our hospital for spinal problems ranges from $3,500 for a discectomy and decompression, to $5,500 or $6,000 for fixation of the spine at one level, and up to $10,000 for more complicated cases. That is the range of costs patients most commonly have to bear.
Answered by Dr. S. K. Rajan
How long does treatment take, including the hospital stay?
Asked by Dr. Buffa
Most patients with spine problems who come walking, with pain in the neck or arm, or pain in the lower back going into the legs, usually stay in the hospital for about three to four days and in the country for about two weeks.
Answered by Dr. S. K. Rajan
Do you use intraoperative neuromonitoring?
Asked by Dr. Abraa
Yes, we use intraoperative neuromonitoring, and we are one of the very few centres in the country that use it regularly. Because time was limited, the talk focused on minimally invasive spine surgery and spine navigation, but neuromonitoring is available as well. Our set-up brings together the latest operating microscope, spine navigation, keyhole spine surgery with a tube system, the O-arm for intraoperative 3D imaging, neuromonitoring and a special frame for safe positioning of patients during spine surgery, a combination rarely available under one roof in India.
Answered by Dr. S. K. Rajan
In This Series: Making Spine Surgery 99% Safe
- 1.Making Spine Surgery 99% Safe
- 2.When Is Spine Surgery Needed? Signs, Stay and Cost
- 3.Spinal TB Surgery: Tumours, Scoliosis and Children's Spines
- 4.Live Discussion with Dr. S. K. Rajan