2023-09-21 19:02:00
Data from WHO (World Health Organization) indicate that 8 out of 10 people suffer from a herniated disc in the world. The Ministry of Health, through the Virtual Health Library, informa that the condition can cause mild, moderate or severe pain to the point of becoming disabling, but, in some cases, there are no symptoms.
Furthermore, according to the national health body, the diagnosis is made through x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging or tomography, indicating the severity and location of the spine where the hernia is. Depending on the severity, treatment may occur through the use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy or even surgery.
The Ministry of Health reports that, within approximately one month, around 90% of sufferers resume their usual routines. One of the treatment alternatives is endoscopic surgery for disc herniation, which is in the ROL da ANS since 2021, with mandatory coverage for the entire network of health agreements and insurance.
The neurosurgeon specializing in spine surgery, Dr. Felipe Azevedo Figueira, explains that this is a minimally invasive procedure, in which the disc fragment is removed and the compression of the nerve is released through a cannula equipped with a microcamera of high resolution where the microtweezers pass.
“Thus, it is possible for the surgery to occur with a high success rate and with a scar of approximately 1 cm. Furthermore, postoperative pain, infection rates and muscle manipulation are also considerably lower”, he informs.
Also according to Dr. Figueira, the procedure is routinely performed under general anesthesia and the patient does not need to be admitted to the hospital and can be discharged on the same day of the surgery.
Technology applied for minimally invasive treatments
The neurosurgeon details the equipment used in endoscopic surgery for disc herniation: “We use a high-resolution video camera at the tip and a hole through which the microtweezers pass, as well as fiber optic lighting, continuous irrigation and video screens that magnify the image obtained by the equipment”.
For Dr. Felipe Azevedo Figueira, minimally invasive treatments are here to stay: “Technology and advances in engineering are providing increasingly efficient and safe surgeries. Until recently, surgeries resulted in large scars, a difficult postoperative period and postoperative pain,” he says. Finally, Figueira comments that, “currently, in neurosurgery, almost all surgeries employ high technology, whether through endoscopy, percutaneous treatments, ultrasonic equipment or GPS navigation”.
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