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Trinidad Patient Gets Successful lumbar Discectomy Surgery in India

lumbar Discectomy Surgery – Dr. Hitesh Garg

Do you know what Lumbar Discectomy is? I was also unaware of it when I heard it for the first time. There was too much pain in the lower back accompanied with numbness in my right leg, and weakness in my left foot. When I consulted the doctor, it was declared that I am having lumbar discectomy. And now what is that? It is the surgical removal of the herniated or degenerative disc in the lower spine area. During the surgery, an incision is made in the posterior region through the back muscles of the spinal cord. This, in turn, works to remove the disc that is causing the unwanted pressure on the nerve.

Here, let me share with you my complete experience from pain to complete relief. It was all like a new sensation, a new life, and a new belief that I concluded at the end of my journey after the surgery. I am sharing with you all my personal experience of having Successful lumbar Discectomy Surgery in India under the guidance of Spine and neurosurgery hospital India - a group of surgeons and hospitals, a medical tourism company in India.

It all started with a dull pain in my lower back, and I kept using topical lotions and ointments which gave temporary relief. My pain threshold is quite high and that is the reason that even when the pain started shooting down my legs, I did not pay much heed. I had a sedentary work life, sitting in front of the computer all day and that is why I thought that the pain was due to this reason. But within no time it became unbearable, and I had to take pain killers in order to complete the daily activities of my life.

I have two kids aged 10 and 12 years, and although my husband extended a helping hand, I had to take care of the maximum part of housework. As the pain became chronic, my husband had started suggesting that I see a doctor. He rightly pointed out that even a dull pain, if it is chronic, should be looked into properly. I have always been a little careless about my health and seeing a doctor has always been a tough task for me.

The pain adversely affected by life with my kids and husband. I had to curtail all social activities. Sitting in the chair for office hours was also a punishment. Finally, I decided to see a doctor and my husband took me to the primary physician. He said that since the problem seemed to be associated with my spine, I should see a spine specialist. He even suggested a good specialist and I took an appointment to see him. When I heard that the problem was associated with my spine I became quite nervous and tense.

Although not very educated in medical matters, I knew that any problem pertaining to the spine meant serious trouble. Come D-day, we went to see the spine specialist. He said that he suspected a herniated disc, but he could be sure after we did an Xray and other checkups to prove the ailment was what he said. My husband promptly took an appointment for the check-ups and when the results came, what the spine doctor said was true, I indeed had developed a herniated disk due to years of the wrong posture.

I also remember certain elders in my mother’s family who suffered from the same problem. The spine specialist said that such a problem usually occurred at a more advanced age, but my family history and my own carelessness in not getting enough and proper exercise along with the wrong posture had landed me in this state much earlier.

In describing my agony I forgot to introduce myself. I am Matea Nikolic and I am 48 years old. I work in and IT firm and am a software engineer. This is a sedentary job which although it provides great satisfaction, sitting in a chair all day long with the wrong posture has landed me in this pain and suffering. The spine specialist that my husband and I met, said that lumbar discectomy surgery was the only permanent solution to the problem.

This made me even more nervous due to my reluctance to undergo any surgical procedures. I asked the doctor if there was anything else that could alleviate my suffering. He said that physiotherapy would help to some extent, but the only permanent and effective option was surgery.

This brought forth another question – where to find good spine surgeons in Trinidad and Tobago where I hale from. We decided that since this was a delicate surgery we should take some time to look around and see our options before going under the scalpel. In the meanwhile I started taking physiotherapy sessions, but as the spine specialist had predicted it caused a little relief not much from the pain. My kids and husband tried their best to provide emotional and mental strength apart from trying to do what they could to ease my pain.

I had to take medical leave from my job, and as days passed, we could not make up our minds about getting the surgery done in Trinidad and Tobago. My friends also knew about my condition and one day Alicia one of my closest friends called me up with a very positive note. She said that it would be a good idea to get the surgery done in India, where I would not only find the right qualified skilled and expert doctors, even the cost of the surgery would be very less. She knew of a gentleman who had got a heart bypass surgery done in India and was all praises about the expertise and professionalism of Indian doctors.

I was interested in this suggestion from my dear friend, and I invited her home to discuss the matter with my husband. She said that she had been doing some research online about the various options and just like us she could not find anything suitable in our country. She then came across information about medical tourism in India and how people from advanced countries like the USA, UK etc. were also going to India to get expensive treatments done.

She read the reviews and testimonials written by these medical tourists and she was very enthusiastic about the idea of me going to India for the surgery. My question was how could we find a doctor and make all the other arrangements. My kids needed someone to stay with them while I was gone. Alicia suggested that my husband could stay back with the kids while she would travel with me to provide support. I was happy with the idea, and immediately we started looking for what needed to be done in order to get my surgery done in India.

In recent times medical tourism in India has become an industry on its own. Many enterprising people have realized this niche which can be a good business opportunity if done the right way. They have formed medical tourism companies for the aid of people who wish to take medical treatment in India. Alicia and I browsed the internet and came across many such tourism companies. We even placed a call to 3-4 of them, and Spine and neurosurgery hospital India- a group of Top Surgeons and Top Hospitals was the one that struck the right chord with us.

The warmth with which the lady was answering the phone was quite inviting and she was also very professional in her approach. We had already studied their website along with the many positive reviews written by people who had taken their services. All things seemed to vibe well with this company and I spoke to the lady describing my ailment. She said that taking treatment for my problem in India was an excellent decision I had made. She explained the nuances of medical tourism in India and said that Spine and neurosurgery hospital India- a group of surgeons and hospitals had a lot of experience in this field and had handled many cases similar to mine.

She said that we need not worry about anything at all, because the company would take care of the medical visa, flight tickets, doctor appointments and the booking of the surgery itself. She asked who would be accompanying me and I told her about Alicia. She said that it was good to bring a close friend and confidante along to provide moral support. I wanted to know who my surgeon would be and she said that she will give us a list of profiles and we could choose the doctor that appealed to us. At the same time, she gave us an approximate quote with all the expenses including the surgery, accommodation, food, etc. Since I had a severe back problem, sitting in the aircraft seat could cause me discomfort, she said she understood that and she would make the arrangements in such a way that I could rest when I wanted. She said that most good airlines made special provisions for medical tourists. All this information was provided to us quite promptly. We asked for a day to decide whom to choose for the surgery.

We went through several profiles, and out of all the one profile that caught my attention was Dr. Hitesh Garg Top Spine surgeon in India. Even Alicia liked his profile and we finalized him as the right surgeon for me. I called up Spine and neurosurgery hospital India- a group of Top Surgeons and Top Hospitals the next day and gave my choice of the surgeon to the lady. She said that my choice was good because Dr. Garg had performed many such surgeries and none of his patients had developed any complications. She said I was lucky because Dr. Garg would be available as soon as my medical visa and other paperwork went through. This would take 2 months maximum and she asked us both to send our travel documents.

The day came when I boarded the flight with Alicia. My husband and kids came to see us off and everybody tried their best to make me feel positive about this trip. I too was slowly working on overcoming my apprehensions. When we landed in India, a smart young man greeted us at the airport and drove us to a plush hotel, which we had chosen from the list provided to us. The hotel staff was very warm and empathetic because they knew we were medical tourists. The young man asked us to sleep well at night and said that he would be there to take us to the hospital the next day morning.

When we reached the hospital we were directly taken to Dr. Garg’s cabin, and I was struck at his cheerful and charming demeanor which was unusual for a doctor. He spoke to me very warmly and started to explain the procedure of the discectomy with the help of charts and presentations.

The literal meaning of discectomy is cutting out the disc. This procedure can be used for the treatment of the entire spinal column from the neck till the tail bone. A portion of the lamina is removed where the lamina is the bone that forms the backside of the spinal cord and makes a covering over the spinal cord. The spinal nerve is retracted to the other side and depending on the condition one or more discs may be removed. Dr. Garg said that he would use the minimally invasive method of discectomy in my case which is microendoscopic and uses a small incision. The recovery time in this kind of discectomy is less. Then fusion is performed with the help of a bone graft and plates and screws to connect two vertebrae together. During the healing process, the two vertebrae become a single bone piece.

This surgery is done using general anesthesia, which meant that I would sleep through it. Most patients can go home the same day while some may take 1 or two days. Dr. Garg suggested that I stay in the hospital for one day so that all the vitals could be monitored and a check kept on my recovery. He said that I would have to take it easy for a few days till I get completely healed and I should be careful with bending, lifting or twisting the back. No strenuous activity for 2 weeks and no driving either. No consumption of alcohol or tobacco should be there for 2 weeks. The doctor will prescribe pain medication which should be taken along with icing the incision. Slowly my life would get back to normal and although I should avoid causing stress to my back all the time, otherwise I would be as good as new. Finally, I had successful lumbar discectomy surgery in India. As I was taken into the operating room Alicia went back to the hotel.

It has been six months since my surgery and I feel relief without the constant pain. Also due to Dr. Garg, I am less scared of doctors now. I am back to my old job, but I have included good exercise in my daily regime. At the same time, I have also corrected my posture although I slip into the old habit now and then but soon a correct posture will become natural for me. Thanks to Dr. Garg and the support of my family and Alicia, I now have a much better quality of life and I am enjoying every moment of it.

This is my share of experience that only narrates my story from pain to relief but also reveals the thankfulness that I feel towards Team Spine and neurosurgery hospital India, my ultimate guide, mentor, and support system throughout my surgical journey. Thanks, Spine and neurosurgery hospital India group of surgeons and hospitals, I am confident that none could be a better option than you for the most reputed, professional, and supportive medical tourism company in India.

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