Milestone disc replacement surgery (4 level) performed for the first time in Asia at Artemis Health Institute

Gurgaon, August 2, 2008: Dr. Harshavardhan Hegde, Consultant and Head, Department of Orthopedics and Spine Surgery at Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon performed a 4 level disc replacement surgery on a 54 year American patient. Dr. Hegde in an 8 hour long surgery replaced two lumbar discs (lower back) and two cervical discs (neck). 

The patient was suffering from disc degeneration for the last 10 years and when he came to know about Dr Harshvardhan Hegde from a patient who had been treated by him earlier. One option was to have a fusion surgery and the other was to have disc replacement surgery which is more complicated but has a faster recovery.  He chose the latter. The patient was walking on the first postoperative day and is hoping to be discharged from the hospital in five days.  The cost for the surgery in India too was a big relief for him. It cost him USD 25,000 US dollars for a 4 level disc replacement at Artemis Health Institute, while in America he was given a budget of around 2,50,000 US dollars. 

Cervical disc replacement is a procedure where an artificial cervical disc is inserted between two cervical vertebrae after an intervertebral disc has been surgically removed in the process of decompressing the spinal cord or/and a nerve root. The intent of the device is to preserve motion at the disc space. It is an alternative to the use of bone grafts, plates and screws in pursuit of a fusion following such a disc removal, which necessarily eliminates motion at the operated disc space in the neck.

Lumbar disc replacement is a procedure where an artificial disc is inserted between two lumbar vertebrae after an intervertebral disc has been surgically removed in the process of decompressing the spinal cord or/and a nerve root. The intent of the device is to preserve motion at the disc space. It is an alternative to the use of bone grafts, plates and screws in pursuit of a fusion following such a disc removal, which necessarily eliminates motion at the operated disc space in the neck.

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