Cervical Spinal Disc Herniation — Discotomy With Intervertebral Disc Replacement Prosthesis: treatment in the Best Hospitals of Germany
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Department of Spinal Surgery
The Department of Spinal Surgery annually treats more than 960 patients with cervical spinal disc herniation. The specialists remove the affected disc with endoscopic equipment and replace it with prosthesis. The surgery involves the use of a three-dimensional O-Arm x-ray system, which provides a complete protection for the spinal cord. The department is headed by Dr. med. A Bitter, who specializes in microsurgical spinal interventions.
Department of Spinal Surgery
The Department of Spinal Surgery at the Vivantes Auguste-Victoria Hospital all diseases of the spine - both conservatively and operatively. Patients with herniated intervertebral discs, displacement of vertebrae, stenosis of the spinal canal or back pain are treated here. In addition, specialists of the department have a unique experience in the field of complex reconstructive and revision surgeries, which are conducted to continue or correct the previous surgical treatment.
Department of Spinal Surgery
The Department of Spinal Surgery offers the full range of effective treatment methods in the area of its specialization. A highly qualified team of doctors is at the service of the department's patients, who have in their arsenal advanced conservative and surgical treatment methods for pathological changes in the spine. Spinal surgical procedures are performed in modern operating rooms, the technical equipment of which allows spinal surgeons to perfectly perform both major open surgery and sparing interventions: minimally invasive, endoscopic, and microsurgical. Surgical treatment is complemented by a carefully planned course of physiotherapy. This includes procedures such as therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, massage, osteopathic treatment, etc. The department's team of doctors consists of 10 highly qualified specialists who, together with experienced nursing staff, admit more than 1,300 inpatients annually. The medical facility is certified by the German Society for Spine Surgery (DWG) as a level II specialized center. The department's medical team makes every effort to provide each patient with optimal treatment in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers the full range of accurate diagnostics and surgical treatment of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The department's surgeons annually perform over 5,000 surgical interventions, which indicates their high professionalism and tremendous experience. The key attention is paid to the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, diseases of the spine and spinal cord, brain and skull base tumors, peripheral nerve lesions, cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorders, as well as pain therapy (functional neurosurgery). The treatment of neurosurgical diseases in children and adolescents is carried out by a specially trained team of experts.
Department of Neurosurgery and Spinal Surgery
The Department of Neurosurgery and Spinal Surgery offers the full range of modern surgical procedures for patients with diseases of the brain, spinal cord, spine, and peripheral nervous system. The department has state-of-the-art equipment, including navigation systems, monitoring devices, surgical microscopes, intraoperative X-ray diagnostic systems, angiography systems, and laser equipment. In addition, a system for minimally invasive stereotactic interventions has been installed in the department's operating room. The department's neurosurgeons use the latest microsurgical and endoscopic techniques in their work. The medical facility is one of only three in Europe to successfully use the VISUALASE™ device for MRI-guided laser ablation to treat epilepsy. This minimally invasive procedure is highly effective and represents a real breakthrough in epilepsy surgery. The department's neurosurgeons always strive to provide the patient with optimal medical care. They talk in detail about each stage of treatment and are happy to answer the patient's questions. Neurologists and specialists in the field of neuroradiology are often involved in the therapeutic process, which guarantees a comprehensive approach to treatment.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers the full range of surgical treatment of diseases of the brain, spine, spinal cord and nerves in adults and children. The department keeps pace with new trends in medicine, as well as contributes significantly to their development. Therefore, the most modern diagnostic and therapeutic methods are available here. An individual approach to each clinical case is crucial to ensure optimal treatment results with the preservation of all neurological functions.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery ranks among the top German medical facilities specializing in the surgical treatment of brain tumors! The department offers the full range of diagnostics and surgical treatment of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. A specially trained team of pediatric neurosurgeons provides treatment for various neurosurgical pathologies in children. During the treatment, the doctors use state-of-the-art equipment, in particular, imaging-guided neuronavigation, functional imaging (fMRI), intraoperative mapping, intraoperative videoangiography, etc.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery offers modern diagnostics and effective treatment of the full range of diseases, injuries, inflammatory processes, tumors and malformations of the brain, spinal cord and their meninges, as well as spinal diseases. Spinal surgery is performed in collaboration with doctors from the Department of Adult and Pediatric Traumatology, Orthopedic Surgery. The department admits adults and children with malformations of the nervous system, brain and spinal cord tumors, drug-resistant epilepsy and other diseases. As one of the largest medical facilities of this kind in Germany, the department's doctors annually perform more than 2,500 surgical interventions on the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nerve endings. The department's specialists also perform over 400 spinal surgical procedures annually. To achieve high success rates of the surgical treatment, doctors use the very latest equipment, including neuronavigation systems. Thanks to this, surgeons not only successfully eliminate the pathology, but also guarantee the patient maximum safety. The department has 78 beds, including 14 beds in the Intensive Care Unit. The priority goal of the department's medical team is to provide high-quality treatment focused on the patient's needs.
Department of Neurosurgery and Spinal Surgery
The Department of Neurosurgery and Spinal Surgery provides top-class medical care for patients with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The medical facility performs surgery of any complexity on the brain, spinal cord, spine, and peripheral nerves. The department is the largest healthcare facility of this kind in Germany and has a team of highly professional neurosurgeons with long clinical experience. The department's specialists focus on patients with brain tumors (gliomas, meningiomas, and brain metastases), neurovascular diseases (aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and dural arteriovenous fistulas), and traumatic brain injuries. Spinal surgeons operate on patients with herniated discs, spinal canal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, spondylodiscitis, spinal fractures, and spinal tumors. The department extensively uses minimally invasive surgical techniques that allow for good therapeutic results with high safety in surgical manipulations. The medical facility has two hybrid operating rooms with state-of-the-art equipment, including the Zeego® intraoperative robotic angiography system and the intraoperative Brainsuite® MRI.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics is the center of maximum orthopedic care and offers the diagnostics and treatment of all diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Along with the full range of modern operative and conservative orthopedics, the department specializes in hip and knee replacement surgery using the minimally invasive methods, replacement/revision of prostheses, orthopaedic oncology, foot surgery and patella problems in the patella.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Foot Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Foot Surgery offers the full range of diagnostics, conservative and surgical treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and injuries. The department is a certified Endoprosthetics Center – more than 1,000 primary joint replacement surgeries are performed here annually. The surgeons of the Endoprosthetics Center also specialize in particularly complex clinical cases and revision procedures for the replacement of previously implanted artificial joints. In addition, the department has the status of the interregional Trauma Center certified in accordance with the standards of the German Trauma Society. The department has also been awarded a Certificate of Excellence from the German Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (DAF) in the field of foot surgery. A separate area of clinical activity is the treatment of diseases, injuries and congenital malformations of the musculoskeletal system in children. Depending on the severity of the clinical case, both conservative and surgical techniques are used in the treatment of orthopedic pathologies in children. The department's medical team prefers sparing low-traumatic surgery, while open operations are performed only if other therapeutic options are ineffective.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers the diagnostics and comprehensive treatment of neurosurgical pathologies, including tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system. The department is the leading Center of Neurosurgery in Northern Germany and is responsible for the implementation of new algorithms for the treatment of patients with brain tumors. To this end, there is an active participation in the international researches and the development of new surgical methods, for example, operations in the waking state. Close interdisciplinary cooperation also contributes to the achievement of optimal treatment results.
Department of General Orthopedics and Orthopedic Oncology
The Department of General Orthopedics and Orthopedic Oncology offers the full range of conservative and surgical treatment of all musculoskeletal diseases. The department ranks among the largest medical facilities of this kind in Germany, as well as among the specialized authoritative departments for the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors in the European medical arena. The treatment is carried out both on an outpatient and inpatient basis, including the outpatient operations. In addition to its successful clinical activities, the department is proud of its productive research work, which has given birth to many innovations in orthopedics, for example, the department's specialists have patented the very latest prosthetic systems, particularly in the field of orthopedic oncology.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers the full range of modern services in this medical field. The high level of technical equipment in the department allows for the performance of all highly specialized surgical interventions to treat pathologies of the central and peripheral nervous system. The clinical practice mainly focuses on the diagnostics and surgical treatment of diseases, injuries of the brain, spine, spinal cord, intervertebral discs, nerve plexuses, functional neurosurgery and the treatment of neurosurgical pathologies in children.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers all modern surgical interventions for the treatment of pathologies of the nervous system. The clinical focuses include the treatment of oncological diseases of the nervous system (neuro-oncology), skull base surgery, vascular neurosurgery, spinal surgery and functional neurosurgery, including the surgical treatment of epilepsy. As a state-of-the-art medical facility, the department has the advanced systems for deep brain stimulation, multimodal neuronavigation devices, intraoperative neuronavigation using CT, ultrasound systems, fluorescence imaging devices and endoscopy equipment. Thus, the department has all the possibilities to ensure effective treatment according to the international standards.
Department of Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Foot Surgery
The Department of Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Foot Surgery provides a full range of modern diagnostics and conservative and surgical treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. The primary clinical interest of the department's team of doctors is the medical care of patients with diseases of large joints, spine, and foot, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, injuries of any severity, including multiple and geriatric. The department includes a specialized Maximum Care Joint Replacement Center (EndoCert and ClarCert certified), which successfully performs partial and total knee and hip arthroplasty. It should be noted that these operations are performed through a minimally invasive approach, which allows for postoperative restoration of mobility in the shortest possible time. The department also has a well-developed area of arthroscopic surgery of the knee, hip, and shoulder joints and offers modern methods of treatment of foot and ankle pathologies. The high quality of medical care is confirmed by numerous prestigious certificates, such as the certificate of the German Spine Society (DWG), the certificate of the German Foot and Ankle Society (DAF), the certificate of the German Society for Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery (DGOU), the certificate of the German Cancer Society (DKG), the certificate of the German Knee Society (DKG), the certificate of the German Trauma Society (DGU), and others.
A discectomy with the placement of an intervertebral disc endoprosthesis is a modern and reliable treatment method for a herniated disc in the cervical spine. The main advantages of the procedure are the stability and mobility of the spinal column, the low risk of developing the disease in adjacent segments of the spine, and the absence of the need for revision operations. You can opt to go to Germany for the treatment of your intervertebral disc herniation with good results. On the Booking Health website, you can find out the cost of treatment and choose a medical care program for your preferred dates. We will help you select a German hospital that specializes in spine surgery.
Content
- The essence of this treatment method for a herniated disc
- Who may need a discectomy and hernia prosthetic repair?
- Benefits of a discectomy and disc replacement surgery for a herniated disc
- Where to undergo your herniated disc treatment?
The essence of this treatment method for a herniated disc
There are disks between the human vertebrae that provide mobility to the spine. A disk consists of a fibrous sheath and an enclosed nucleus pulposus. If the disk wall protrudes and then ruptures, the fragments of the nucleus pulposus compress the nerve structures, such as the spinal cord or the spine nerve roots. This is how a hernia is formed.
The standard treatment for a herniated disc is a discectomy with the fixation of two adjacent vertebrae. Such an operation impairs the mobility of the spinal column and increases the risk of degeneration of adjacent segments.
As an alternative treatment option, doctors in the departments at German hospitals can perform the operation for total removal of the intervertebral disc with the implantation of an artificial endoprosthesis in its place. The prosthesis imitates all physiological movements while maintaining the mobility and stability of the spinal column.
The first replacement surgery for a herniated cervical disk was performed back in the 1960s of the twentieth century. The first endoprostheses in the form of metal balls did not provide spinal mobility, and the results were the same as in conventional rigid fixation of two vertebrae.
The first prosthesis providing the possibility of movement was created in Germany. It was developed at the Charite University Hospital Berlin in the 1980s. This endoprosthesis has been widely used around the world. It was initially used only in Europe, and doctors in the USA have started using the endoprosthesis since 2004. Since 2012, these types of prostheses have been discontinued due to the development of newer and more advanced models. Today, healthcare professionals in Germany use cervical disk prostheses of the very latest generation, which provide good long-term results.
Who may need a discectomy and hernia prosthetic repair?
Whenever possible, an intervertebral disc herniation is treated with the following conservative methods: painkillers, antispasmodics, muscle relaxants, and physiotherapy. However, if the treatment of pain is ineffective or severe neurological symptoms appear, patients undergo an operation.
There are different options for surgery of spine. Prosthetics are considered an effective treatment in the following situations:
- the lesion is at the same level (the operation is less often performed in the case of a lesion involving two cervical segments);
- there is no vertebral displacement, or it is insignificant;
- age up to 40 years (but in recent years, the influence of age on the outcomes of operations has been questioned as even patients over 60 years get good results in Germany);
- unsuccessful operations for a herniated disc in the patient's medical history.
Treatment in Germany with disk replacement surgery is not carried out for patients with osteoporosis, vertebral fractures, poor mobility of the operated segment, or concomitant spine diseases such as facet syndrome or spinal stenosis. A previous operation with the removal of facet joints is also considered a contraindication for disk replacement surgery.
Benefits of a discectomy and disc replacement surgery for a herniated disc
Endoprosthesis placement for the intervertebral disc of the cervical spine has many advantages as compared to a standard microdiscectomy with rigid vertebral fixation. These are the following:
- because the patient's own disk is completely removed, a cervical disk hernia cannot reoccur at the same level after surgery;
- stability of the spine can be achieved without any rigid fixation;
- the ability to move the operated segment in any anatomical direction allows for the avoidance of disease in the adjacent segment (degenerative changes do not develop in any adjacent discs)
- there is no need to restrict movements in the cervical spine after operations;
- a disk prosthesis performs a motor function immediately after its implantation;
- revision surgery is unlikely, both on the operated segment and at adjacent levels.
Where to undergo your herniated disc treatment?
You can undergo your hernia treatment using a discectomy with intervertebral disc replacement in Germany. Please leave your request on the Booking Health website to get a consultation from medical tourism specialists. After receiving your request, we will contact you, help you select a hospital in Germany, and agree on all the details of your trip.
There are a few reasons for you to undergo your surgery in Germany. These are the following:
- new modifications of operations on the spine that are safer and less traumatic;
- high-quality intraoperative diagnostics that allow doctors to reduce the risk of complications and more accurately place the implant;
- severe postoperative complications are uncommon;
- the use of the latest reliable and mobile endoprostheses;
- revision spinal surgery is very unlikely.
Doctors in Germany have the world's largest experience in intervertebral disc replacement, as it was here that the first movable prosthesis in the history of medicine was developed and implanted. Such operations have been performed at German hospitals since the 1980s, whereas in most other countries, the first operations to replace intervertebral discs were performed only at the beginning of the 21st century.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health website to undergo your treatment in Germany at a favorable price. The website presents the best German hospitals. Here you can compare the cost of treatment in different centers specializing in spine surgery and choose an affordable option. Our specialists will help you select a hospital that suits your request and arrange your trip.
Self-organization of treatment is often difficult and time-consuming for patients. You need to send a request to the hospital, wait a long time for a response to your request, and there is a risk of rejection. The waiting time for treatment will be long, and this is highly undesirable for a herniated disc with neurological symptoms because the later the operation is performed, the lower the chances that the symptoms will subsequently regress. When organizing your trip on your own, you have to independently look for interpreting services, book hotel and airline tickets, and resolve organizational issues that arise during the treatment process. However, you can leave these concerns to us. You are welcome to leave your request on the Booking Health website to get help in choosing a hospital and organizing a trip.
When you make your treatment appointment through our service, the cost of treatment will be lower for you. The prices will be reduced due to the lack of taxes for foreign patients. You will receive insurance against unforeseen medical expenses, so the original cost of treatment will not increase even if additional procedures are required.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk. 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!
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