Slip disc, sciatica can be treated with minimal invasive technique

Lucknow, Oct 17:  A study by the doctors of Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) in Lucknow, has revealed that a minimal invasive technique for the treatment of 'single level' slip disc and sciatica is as effective as the open conventional surgery.

The study was conducted by the anaesthesiology, CCM (customer communication management) and pain medicine department on 64 patients suffering from sciatica and slip discs in two years (2017-2019) and its results were published recently in the Indian Journal of Pain.

Patients selected for the study were experiencing excruciating pain, burning sensations and tingling in one or both legs. Medicines and physiotherapy were not effective.

A team of doctors led by Prof Deepak Malviya, head of the department, decided to treat them with minimally invasive pain and spine intervention (MIPSI) technique.

Prof Anurag Agrawal, who led the study, said, "We removed a portion of the disc which was compressing the nerve causing pain and burning sensation by making only a seven-eight mm 'button-size' hole in the body through an endoscope. Over 90 per cent (58) patients got instant relief after the procedure."

He explained that the "The advantage of MIPSI is that the blood loss is minimal, chances of infections are less and a patient gets discharged the same day. In comparison, in open surgery, a four-six-cm-long incision is made to reach the perforated disc and hospital stay is three to five days. It takes at least 15 to 20 days for full recovery."

He further said that on comparing the results with the conventional spine surgery, it was found that MIPSI is equally effective.

SGPGIMS and RMLIMS are the two public sector institutes that are using this technique at present. KGMU also has a dedicated pain medicine service.