Herniated Disc Surgery

The primary goal of treatment for each patient is to help relieve pain and other symptoms resulting from the herniated disc. To achieve this goal, each patient’s treatment plan should be individualized based on the source of the pain, the severity of pain and the specific symptoms that the patient exhibits.

In general, patients usually are advised to start with a course of conservative care (non-surgical) prior to considering spine surgery for a herniated disc. Whereas this is true in general, for some patients early surgical intervention is beneficial. For example, when a patient has progressive major weakness in the arms or legs due to nerve root pinching from a herniated disc, having surgery sooner can stop any neurological progression and create an optimal healing environment for the nerve to recover. In such cases, without surgical intervention, nerve loss can occur and the damage may be permanent.

There are also a few relatively rare conditions that require immediate surgical intervention. For example, cauda equina syndrome, which is usually marked by progressive weakness in the legs and/or sudden bowel or bladder dysfunction, requires prompt medical care and surgery.

Conservative and Surgical Treatments

For lumbar and cervical herniated discs, conservative (non-surgical) treatments can usually be applied for around four to six weeks to help reduce pain and discomfort. A process of trial and error is often necessary to find the right combination of treatments. Patients may try one treatment at a time or may find it helpful to use a combination of treatment options at once. For example, treatments focused on pain relief (such as medications) may help patients better tolerate other treatments (such as manipulation or physical therapy). In addition to helping with recovery, physical therapy is often used to educate patients on good body mechanics (such as proper lifting technique) which helps to prevent excessive wear and tear on the discs.

If conservative treatments are successful in reducing pain and discomfort, the patient may choose to continue with them. For those patients who experience severe pain and a high loss of function and don’t find relief from conservative treatments, surgery may be considered as an option.

Does Surgery for Neck Pain Make Sense for You?

The goals of cervical spine surgery are to correct instability and relieve compression from a nerve that may be causing you pain, tingling, burning, or even weakness from the neck. Often, these symptoms can travel down the shoulder and into the hands. 

The most common surgeries to relieve neck-related pain are anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF) and the newer artificial discreplacement (ADR). 

To answer the big question of whether neck surgery makes sense for you, it helps to think through the following two questions:

• Do neck pain symptoms greatly reduce my quality of life?

Neck pain alone can be bad, such as when sharp pain reduces the head’s range of motion and interferes with daily activities. However, surgery is typically not considered unless symptoms become even worse with cervical nerve root compression causing pain, numbness, and/or weakness to radiate into the arm and hand, or spinal cord compression causing problems with coordination, bladder or bowel function, or walking.

• Has the surgeon identified a correctible problem that is related to my symptoms?

If medical imaging, such as an MRI, identifies a spinal problem that is causing the compression of a nerve root or the spinal cord in a manner that matches your symptoms, you’re likely a candidate for surgery. For example, if symptoms appear to be caused by a herniated disc, bone spur (osteophyte), or other structure pushing against a nerve root or the spinal cord, then in most cases a surgery can be performed to remove whatever is causing the compression and allow space for the nerve(s) and/or cord to heal.

The expectations from ACDF and ADR are to relieve arm/hand-related symptoms first, followed by neck pain over a couple months as the recovery proceeds.

Weighing the benefits and risks of neck surgery

For chronic neck pain that cannot be linked to spinal instability or nerve compression, patients are usually advised to continue with nonsurgical treatments, such as physical therapy, medication as needed, massage, cognitive behavioral therapy, cold packs, heat therapy, and sometimes steroid injections.

What Condition Is Causing My Neck Pain?

If your orthopaedic spine surgeon is able to verify that your pain is caused by a spinal instability and/or compression of a nerve root or the spinal cord, the chances for successful surgery are dramatically improved. This is especially true if you have arm and hand symptoms in addition to neck pain.

Both ACDF and ADR surgeries are relatively safe and have high rates of success, but they also have risks just like any surgery. Running the potential risk of some increased neck pain after surgery may be worth it if you’re able to regain full use of an arm, but it would likely not be worth it if neck pain is your only complaint going into surgery.

At the end of the day, if your symptoms are debilitating to your activities of daily living, work, sleep, and interpersonal relationships with family and friends, it may be time to have a discussion with your orthopaedic spine surgeon. An accurate diagnosis and treatment plan can have a major role in achieving a meaningful outcome.

Best General surgery Hospital in Nigeria

General surgery is a specialty dealing with pre-operative, operative and post-operative management of surgical problems of all kinds; especially those relating to the abdomen, alimentary canal, soft tissues, endocrine system and, in many cases, the head and the neck. Patients who are critically ill or gravely injured are first brought to this department so that they can be stabilized before the next step of treatment. At Primus International Super Speciality Hospital, we have a highly experienced team of general surgeons who excel in such critical situations. 

The Primus Department of General Surgery has led the field of minimally invasive surgery and all forms of minimal access surgery are performed, including Laparascopic cholecystectomy, hernia repair, colonic resection and anti-reflux surgery. Our Surgeons provide evaluation and treatment for a full range of general surgery conditions. 

• Laparoscopic Appendicectomy
• Laparoscopic Cholesystectomy
• Laparoscopic Hernioplasty – Ventral / Inguinal
• Diagnostic Laparoscopy
• Excision of Meckle's Deverticulum

Patients receive specialised assessment, latest treatments along with clinical post-operative care, medications and a regular follow-up. The advantages of this technique over traditional open surgery include a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery time; less pain and bleeding after the operation; and reduced scarring.

Bariatric Surgery

The Department of Bariatric surgery at Primus International Super Speciality Hospital has a comprehensive bariatric and metabolic surgery program. We have pioneered minimal access surgical techniques like laparoscopy and endoscopy which facilitates faster recovery, have fewer complications and need less post-surgical follow-up. We carry out advanced laparoscopic, billiary/pancreatic and colorectal oncologic procedures and are among the few centres to offer scar less minimal access surgery options by using the latest technology. We perform bariatric procedures on obese patients to help them achieve significant weight loss when an instituted exercise and diet program does not provide effective results for these patients. This often helps them overcome co-morbid conditions such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnoea. We also perform open surgical procedures wherever indicated. We have best surgeons for Bariatric surgery in Nigeria that you may come across.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgical procedures are performed to make changes to your digestive system resulting in weight loss by limiting your diet intake or by decreasing the absorption of nutrients, or both. Gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries are implemented when diet and exercise does not work or when excess weight is causing serious health problems for you.

There are several types of weight-loss surgical treatments, known collectively as bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass is one of the most common types of bariatric surgery. It is preferred by most surgeons because it mostly has fewer complications than other weight-loss surgeries.

Still, all types of weight-loss surgery, including gastric bypass, are treatments that may include serious risks and side effects. Also, you must maintain permanent healthy changes to your diet and exercise regularly to help establish long-term success of bariatric surgery.

Laparoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopic surgery is also known as key-hole surgery or minimally invasive surgery. It is widely used in gynaecology, gastroenterology. Our Laparoscopic Surgery Department is equipped with the latest technology and infrastructure, supported by an experienced team of surgeons.

Endoscopic Surgery

The hospital is dedicated to a transforming patient care through the endoscopic surgery, emerging from the convergence of Laparoscopic Surgery and therapeutic gastroenterology. The department has a dedicated team of surgeons who use specialized video cameras and instruments which are passed through small incisions (less than 2 cm) into the chest, abdominal or joint cavities to perform surgery. The department performs gastroscopies, colonoscopies and other gastrointestinal diagnostic tests and procedures.