Lumbar Disc Replacement

 The role of spinal discs that separate the vertebrae is to absorb shock in the spine while allowing movement. Degenerative disc disease is a disease in which the discs in the spine gradually worn down and eventually fail.

Low back pain is the most common symptom seen in the people suffering from degenerative disc disease.

A spine lumbar disk replacement is a type of spine surgery. Our spine is comprised of bones called vertebrae. These vertebrae are stacked on top of each other and disks between them work like cushions to allow them to rotate and move. The main purpose of these cushions is to prevent the bones from rubbing against each other. Spine lumbar disk replacement involves substituting a worn or deteriorated disk in the lower part of the patient's spine with an artificial metal or plastic disk. 

You are a good candidate for a spine lumbar disk replacement surgery if your:

Back pain mostly comes from only one or two disks in your lower spine

Or you:

• Are not excessively overweight
• Don’t have scoliosis or another spinal deformity
• Don't have compression on the nerves of your spine
• Have no significant joint disease
• Haven’t previously had spinal surgery

Like all surgeries, spine lumbar disk replacement has some risks. A disk replacement is riskier lumber fusion surgery.

Some of the possible risks of this surgery involve:

• Blood clots in the legs
• Dislocation or dislodging of the artificial disk
• Implant failure or fracture
• Implant loosening or wear
• Infection of the artificial disk
• Infection to the area around the disk
• Stenosis
• Stiffness or rigidity of the spine

Spine lumbar disk replacement is commonly seen as an alternative to the more conventional spinal fusion surgery which permanently joins two vertebrae together. Spine lumbar disk replacement is major surgery and requires general anesthesia and a hospital stay.

You need to get some physically examed,  your medical history reviewed and undergo imaging tests that will help your physician to identify the true nature and extent of your spinal damage.  If you smoke, then you will be asked to stop doing that.  You also need to inform your physician about all your prescriptions, vitamins, and supplements that you are taking and may even need to stop taking them if your doctor suggests so, and you may also have to stop eating and drinking several hours before the surgery.

The main reason a person may need a spine lumbar disk replacement is to treat his or her low back pain. That does not mean everyone with low back pain is a good candidate for a spine lumbar disk replacement surgery. The physician decides if the procedure is the right procedure for you. 

The patient is first put under general anesthetic. Then a team of surgeons starts the procedure together. They usually make an incision in the abdomen and the organs and blood vessels are moved to the side to allow access to the patient's spine. The surgeon removes the damaged disk and puts the new artificial disk in its place and organs and blood vessels are put back in place and the incision is closed. The patient is then taken to a recovery area for close monitoring until he or she awakes from the anesthesia.

The patient will mostly need to stay in the hospital for a few days after the surgery. As a lumbar disk replacement doesn’t require bone to heal, the recovery period is much quicker compared to other back surgeries. Most patients can expect improvement of lower back pain and disability in weeks to months following replacement. But disk replacement only improves but does not completely eliminates pain.

The cost of Lumbar Disc Replacement Surgery in India ranges from INR 4,60,000 to INR 5,00,000, which is comparatively lower than the other countries.