Vertebrology is a very complex but distinct branch of medicine. It connects orthopedics and neurosurgery, as the spinal cord is located inside the vertebrate spinal bones. Pathologies of the spine are difficult to treat. Both conservative and surgical methods of treatment require a great deal of experience by a qualified doctor, clear, cautious schemes and the right kind of medical equipment.
German hospitals generally have all that is necessary for the treatment of spinal diseases.
Content
- Features of Spinal Treatment in Germany
- Benefits of spinal treatment in Germany
- What hospitals is it possible to have treatment?
- Arrangement of treatment in Germany
Features of Spinal Treatment in Germany
Spinal diseases do not usually pose a threat to the life of the patient in most cases but significantly reduce one’s quality of life. It is also accompanied by constant pain.
Some pathologies lead to deformation of the spine or damage to spinal nerves, which causes sensory and motor disorders.
The main pathologies of the spine are:
- Osteochondrosis
- Lumbar Spinal Disc Herniation
- Cervical Spinal Disc Herniation
- Cervical Spinal Stenosis
- Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- Scoliosis
- Tumors of the spinal cord and spine
- Syndrome of the operated spine
- Trauma to the spine
To determine the optimal therapeutic tactics for spinal diseases, all the relevant factors are taken into account in Germany: the age of the patient, the symptoms of the disease, and the experience with previous treatment.
After careful diagnosis, the best methods of treatment are chosen.
These may include:
- Conservative methods (physical training, drugs, and medical procedures)
- Surgical methods (removal of hernias, surgeries for scoliosis, resection of tumors)
- Anaesthetic treatment (elimination of chronic pain by methods of neurostimulator or epidural catheter implantation)
When choosing a method of treatment, preference will be given to non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures that have the best tolerability and safety.
Benefits of spinal treatment in Germany
Thousands of patients from all over the world come to Germany every year to undergo treatment for their spinal diseases. People visit the country as they are offered healthcare services of the highest quality.
Key advantages of spine treatment in Germany are:
- Qualitative diagnostics. Thanks to modern visualizing techniques, a doctor is able to assess the spine structure. This is necessary not only to establish the diagnosis but also to evaluate the peculiarities of the spine structure. Accurate visualizing with the help of modern devices such as CT, MRI and others makes it possible to perform surgery as safe as possible, keeping the spinal cord and spinal nerves tissues healthy.
- The latest types of surgery. Surgery in Germany uses modern types of interventions. Therefore, better results are achieved here in the treatment of scoliosis, spinal hernias, spinal cord tumors and other diseases. All operations are performed as sparingly as possible to avoid neurologic deficiency in the patient after treatment.
- Effective anaesthesia. Some operations on the spine can be harrowing because the fibres of the sensitive nerves come out of the spinal cord. In Germany, qualitative anaesthesia is used, which makes it possible to significantly improve the tolerability of methods for treating spine pathologies, including surgical methods.
- Methods of radiosurgery. Methods of stereotaxic procedures are used for treating spinal cord tumors as a cyber-knife and proton therapy. These methods of treatment are not used in all countries. In addition, German hospitals are equipped with the latest devices at their disposal for conducting radiosurgical operations. The tutor is removed painlessly from the patient, with an accuracy of tenths of a millimeter. Therefore, healthy tissues of the spinal cord and spine are not damaged.
- High-quality rehabilitation. After surgical, radiosurgical or conservative treatment, the patient is rehabilitated. This helps a person to fully or partially restore work capacity and lost functions. The volume and duration of rehabilitation measures depend on the characteristics of the disease and the methods of treatment used.
What hospitals is it possible to have treatment?
Almost all large healthcare centers in Germany have departments that deal with spinal pathology treatment. There are also problem-oriented healthcare institutions.
Here is a list of several highly recommended hospitals worth paying attention to:
- Hospital Neuwerk Mönchengladbach. The hospital’s motto that reflects the work of its specialists is "Innovation. Humanity. Excellent quality.". The Department of Spinal Surgery specializes in the conservative treatment of pain syndrome but, if necessary, also performs surgical treatment of pathologies of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. For maximum safety of such interventions, specialists use the innovative O-Arm system.
- Vivantes Auguste-Viktoria Hospital Berlin. The Department of Spinal Surgery has the prestigious certificate "Spine Center of the German Society for Spine Surgery (DWG)". All the existing surgical and non-surgical methods of treating pathologies of all parts of the spine are used here. Doctors perform microscopic operations on the intervertebral discs and bone structures of the spinal canal. Healthcare specialists also successfully treat degenerative spine pathologies.
- Catholic Clinic Koblenz-Montabaur. This is the academic clinic of the University Hospital Mainz. The Department of Spinal Surgery specializes in open and minimally invasive spinal interventions, for example, in patients with spinal instability, degeneration of intervertebral discs, and spinal tumors. Also, the specialists of the department carry out multimodal physiotherapy, which helps to postpone the surgery or recover after it.
- Charité University Hospital is considered one of the most authoritative hospitals in Europe. Spinal surgeries are performed at the Department of Neurosurgery. Here you can remove hernias and tumors and restore the structure of the spine after its traumatic injury. The clinic uses the latest methods of treating chronic pain.
The average cost of treatment of the most common spine pathologies is as follows:
- Conservative treatment of osteochondrosis – €10,690
- Scoliosis treatment with dorsal-ventral fusion – €65,230
- Treatment of herniated disc with endoscopic or microscopic nucleotomy (1 segment) – €14,190
- Spinal stenosis treatment with decompression laminectomy and discectomy – €17,290
- Treatment of failed back surgery syndrome with implantation of an epidural catheter for the introduction of medications – €24,100
Arrangement of treatment in Germany
If you would like to use the help of German specialists in the fight against spinal pathology, contact Booking Health.
We will help you to:
- Choose a hospital and negotiate with its management about treatment
- Obtain documents; translate medical documentation into German, book a hotel
- Get to the hospital from the airport
- Obtain inexpensive insurance, which will cover all unforeseen expenses in case of complications
- Receive free doctor's consultations within three months after the end of treatment
Booking Health is a leader in medical tourism. We provide our customers with the highest quality services, and you will be able to save up to 70% of your total financial expenses.
Leave a request on our website to learn more about the organization of treatment in Germany with the help of Booking Health.
Choose treatment abroad and you will for sure get the best results!
See the interview for more information:
SAFE AND EFFECTIVE SPINAL SURGERY IN GERMANY – interview with Dr. med. Andrej Bitter
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Our editorial policy, which details our commitment to accuracy and transparency, is available here. Click this link to review our policies.
Sources:
Read:
Top 10 Best Hospitals in Germany
Minimally invasive surgery: treatment of spinal disc herniation in Germany
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