A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cord below the level of the injury. Injury can occur at any level of the spinal cord and can be complete injury, with a total loss of sensation and muscle function, or incomplete, meaning some nervous signals are able to travel past the injured area of the cord. Depending on the location and severity of damage, the symptoms vary, from numbness to paralysis to incontinence. Long term outcomes also ranges widely, from full recovery to permanent tetraplegia (also called quadriplegia) or paraplegia. Complications can include muscle atrophy, pressure sores, infections, and breathing problems.
Surgery may be necessary to relieve excess pressure on the cord so that the spine can be stabalized and the vertebrae can be put in proper place. If surgery is not done immediately then the condition of the patient can worsen in some cases. If there is any compression on the cord due to a fractured bone or blood clots then also the surgery should be performed without much delay. However if the patient has many other injuries and the general condition is not good then we do not rush for the surgery and a more conservative approach like bed rest, cervical collars, motion restriction devices are used. Traction may be used to reduce the pressure on the spinal cord.
SCI patients often require extended treatment in specialized spinal unit or an intensive care unit. The rehabilitation process typically begins in the acute care setting. Usually the inpatient phase lasts 8–12 weeks and then the outpatient rehabilitation phase lasts 3–12 months after that, followed by yearly medical and functional evaluation. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other health care professionals work as a team under the coordination of a neurosurgeon to decide on goals with the patient and develop a plan of discharge that is appropriate for the person’s condition.
Our hospitals are located in the northern part of the country specially in the NCR region within a distance of 20-50 kms from the New Delhi airport. Our hospitals are super specialty in the fields of Neurosurgery, Cardiology, Joint Replacement, Cancer Care, Liver and Kidney Transplants and many other brances of medicine. Some of our hospitals specialize only in Joint Replacements and Arthroscopies.
We have the latest MRI, CT Scan, Digital X-Ray, Bone Densitometry (DEXA), Mammography, Ultrasound, Colour Doppler, EMG, NCV, EEG which gives us the diagnostic confidence for providing the right treatment.
Modular fully equipped Operation Theatres with Computer Navigation and C-Arm backed by a state of art ICU helps us in providing world class treatment to our patients.
Our doctors include some of the most famous names in the world of medicine when it comes to Joint Replacements and Arthroscopies. Dr. Mukesh Jain, Dr Ashok Rajgopal, Dr. J. Maheshwari, Dr Subhash Jangid, Dr Praveen Tittal, Dr Anubhav Jain are some of the names which command respect all over the world for the kind of work done by them in their lifetime.
Kim Brian from the Sacramento County of California, USA came to India to get Hip Replacement Surgery done. He travelled alone because he could not afford the expenses for an attendant. His surgery was done by Dr IPS Oberoi at Artemis Health Institute. Watch this video where Kim is sharing his experiences.
Mr. Mark Wisman suffered an injury to his knee while driving his pickup. For years he lived in pain and finally landed in India for Total Knee Replacement Surgery to be done by Dr. Ashok Rajgopal at Medanta Medicity. He had some interesting things to say about treatment in India specially the cost of the treatment.
Mr Mphoso got spine surgery done in Pretoria, South Africa in Dec 2016 but did not get relief from back pain. His search ended with Dr Vikas Khaturia in India who performed Revision Spine Surgery at one level and Fusion Surgery at another Level. The surgery was done in July 2017 and the delighted patient has this to say.