Orthopaedic Specialities
Spine Surgery
Microscopic, endoscopic and motion-preserving spine care.
Introduction
Back pain is one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care, and most cases settle with time, exercise and good posture. A small but important minority need surgery — when nerves are compressed, when the spine is unstable, when deformity is progressing or when conservative care has failed for months. Modern spine surgery is far less invasive than its reputation. Microscopes, endoscopes, navigation and motion-preserving implants have replaced the long incisions and prolonged recoveries of the past. At Medaura we operate only when surgery will clearly improve your life, and we choose the smallest, most targeted procedure that solves your problem.
Causes
- Disc herniation — the soft inner gel of a disc bulges and presses on a nerve
- Spinal stenosis — narrowing of the canal compressing nerves, common with age
- Spondylolisthesis — one vertebra slips forward on another
- Spinal deformity — scoliosis, kyphosis
- Vertebral fracture, from trauma or osteoporosis
- Spinal infection or tumour
- Failed previous back surgery
Risk Factors
- Sedentary lifestyle and poor core strength
- Repetitive heavy lifting or prolonged sitting
- Obesity
- Smoking, which accelerates disc degeneration
- Family history of disc disease
- Osteoporosis
- Previous spinal injury
Symptoms
- Persistent back or neck pain unrelieved by rest
- Pain, numbness or weakness radiating into an arm or leg
- Difficulty walking long distances without leg pain (claudication)
- Loss of bladder or bowel control — a surgical emergency
- Progressive deformity
- Pain that wakes you at night
- Hand clumsiness or balance problems
When to Consult a Doctor
Most back pain settles within six weeks. Consult a spine surgeon urgently if you have weakness in a leg or arm, numbness in the saddle area, loss of bladder or bowel control, severe pain at rest, fever with back pain, unexplained weight loss with back pain, or back pain after a fall. For chronic radiating leg or arm pain that has not improved with six to twelve weeks of structured non-surgical care, a specialist opinion will clarify whether surgery is needed.
Diagnosis
- Neurological examination — strength, sensation, reflexes, gait
- X-rays — alignment, fractures, instability
- MRI — discs, nerves, spinal cord, soft tissue
- CT scan — bony detail, planning for instrumentation
- Flexion-extension X-rays for suspected instability
- Bone density scan in older patients
- EMG and nerve conduction studies in selected cases
Treatment Options
Microscopic Lumbar Discectomy
Removal of a herniated disc fragment through a 2–3 cm incision using a high-powered microscope. Day-care or one-night stay.
Endoscopic Disc Surgery
Even less invasive — a 7 mm portal under local or spinal anaesthesia, ideal for selected herniations.
Lumbar Decompression for Stenosis
Removal of bone and ligament that crowd the nerves, restoring walking distance.
Cervical Disc Replacement
Motion-preserving alternative to fusion for disc disease causing neck and arm pain.
Spinal Fusion
Two or more vertebrae joined to stabilise an unstable segment, performed with screws, rods and bone graft.
Deformity Correction
Multi-level instrumentation and osteotomies for scoliosis, kyphosis or adult spinal deformity.
Vertebroplasty / Kyphoplasty
Bone cement injection for painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures.
Treatment Procedure
Microscopic or endoscopic disc surgery is performed under spinal or general anaesthesia through a small posterior incision. The surgeon retracts muscle, opens a small window in the lamina, identifies the compressed nerve and removes the disc fragment. The operation takes 45–90 minutes. Fusion surgery involves placement of screws and rods under image guidance or navigation and grafting bone between vertebrae. Cervical disc replacement uses an anterior approach through a small neck incision, with the disc replaced by a motion-preserving implant. Deformity surgery is the longest and most complex, often using navigation and neuromonitoring throughout.
Benefits of Treatment
- Rapid relief of leg or arm pain (often within hours of decompression)
- Restored walking distance
- Prevention of progressive nerve damage
- Improved spinal balance and posture
- Return to work and family life
- Preserved motion where motion-preserving options are used
Recovery and Aftercare
After microdiscectomy or endoscopic surgery, most patients walk within hours and go home the next day. Sitting is encouraged from day one; lifting is restricted for six weeks. Office work resumes by two to three weeks. After fusion or cervical disc replacement, hospital stay is two to four days, and most patients return to non-strenuous work in four to six weeks. Deformity surgery requires a longer hospital stay and three to six months of structured rehabilitation. Across all spine procedures, a core-strengthening programme is the single most important factor in long-term success.
Possible Risks and Complications
What to be aware of
- Dural tear and CSF leak (uncommon, usually treated with simple repair)
- Nerve injury (rare with modern microscopic and navigated techniques)
- Infection
- Recurrent disc herniation
- Adjacent-segment disease after fusion
- Persistent pain in a small proportion of patients
Prevention Tips
- Strengthen core muscles through pilates, yoga or guided exercise
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Lift with the legs, not the back
- Take regular breaks from prolonged sitting
- Stop smoking
- Treat osteoporosis to prevent vertebral fractures
- Maintain good posture during screen use
Why Choose Medaura
Medaura connects you with surgeons and physicians who have trained at India’s top medical institutions and continue to publish, teach and innovate in their fields. Every recommendation we make is grounded in current international guidelines and our doctors’ direct clinical experience. We coordinate appointments, second opinions, diagnostic workups, financial estimates and travel logistics for patients from across India and abroad — so you can focus on getting better, not on navigating a fragmented healthcare system.
Senior consultants
15+ years of sub-specialty experience.
Transparent pricing
Written estimates, no hidden charges.
Rapid recovery
Modern, audited recovery pathways.
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Restoring length, alignment and function after trauma, infection or deformity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find Answers to Your Healthcare Questions
Get quick, reliable information about treatments, appointments, services, and patient care.
Will spine surgery make me a 'spine patient' for life?
On the contrary — well-indicated surgery typically allows patients to stop the activity-limiting behaviours they had adopted to manage pain. Most return to normal life with no restrictions.
Is fusion always required?
No. The majority of disc surgeries are decompressions only, with no implants. Fusion is reserved for true instability.
Are external frames painful?
There is discomfort during the early correction phase, well controlled with oral analgesics. Most patients adapt within a few weeks.
How successful is microdiscectomy for sciatica?
85–95% of patients experience significant relief of leg pain within days.
Can a slipped disc heal without surgery?
Yes, most disc herniations improve within six to twelve weeks with conservative care. Surgery is for those who do not improve or have progressive weakness.
What is the difference between endoscopic and microscopic disc surgery?
Endoscopic uses a smaller portal and offers faster initial recovery; microscopic offers a wider view and is more versatile. Both have excellent long-term outcomes when indications are right
Is disc replacement better than fusion?
For single-level cervical disc disease in younger patients, motion-preserving replacement reduces adjacent-segment stress. For unstable or multi-level disease, fusion remains gold standard.
How long before I can drive after spine surgery?
Typically two to four weeks after disc surgery, longer after fusion. We tailor advice individually.
Will I need a brace?
Most patients do not need a brace after modern spine surgery. Bracing is occasionally used after fusion or fracture surgery.
Is cement injection safe for osteoporotic fractures?
Yes — kyphoplasty has an excellent safety profile and offers rapid pain relief in selected patients.
Can scoliosis surgery wait?
Mild curves can be observed. Curves above 45–50° usually progress and benefit from surgery before further deformity develops.
