A 70-year-old patient at BLK Max Super Speciality Hospital received a new lease on life after receiving treatment for chronic back pain that radiates to his legs and interferes with his everyday activities. To release the pressure on the painful nerve roots, a delicate keyhole procedure was carried out on the spinal column.

The patient’s back and lower limbs had been in excruciating discomfort, which had been interfering with his everyday duties. He could not even walk for 50 meters without the discomfort getting worse immediately after standing for a while.

“He came to us as the last choice after attempting unsuccessfully to find a long-term solution at many different locations. In-depth tests at the L4-5 region (lower back) found bilateral nerve compression, necessitating emergent surgical intervention. The situation seemed difficult given his advanced age and other co-morbidities like diabetes and hypertension. His severe canal stenosis was causing worsening claudication, so the team decided to perform the minimally invasive Unilateral Laminotomy and Bilateral Decompression (ULBD) procedure, which involved decompressing the nerve roots and dura through bilateral keyhole incisions while preserving the midline structure of the back. A microscope was used to guide the entire procedure” said Dr. Puneet Girdhar- Senior Director & Head-Orthopedics Spine Surgery- BLK Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi.

The Unilateral Laminotomy and Bilateral Decompression (ULBD) minimally invasive procedure—is known medically as the “gold standard” technique for treating patients with neurogenic claudication.

A tiny keyhole incision is made on the skin during the surgery to direct the serial dilators toward docking the interlaminar gap in the spinal column. Because the procedure is minimally invasive, there will be little blood loss, a shorter hospital stay, a speedier recovery, and few postoperative consequences like infection risk, etc.

“The operation was performed as a day procedure, and even in these aged sick patients, it had great results. Since the day of the operation, the patient has made a full recovery and can sit and walk normally. After surgery, he was released within a few hours, and his leg pain symptoms started to disappear right away. Within a week, he was able to easily walk for more than 30 minutes without stopping” added the doctor.

With the development of new technologies, treatments to treat conditions relating to the spine have become less invasive, and recovery durations have decreased as a result of accurate and painless treatment modalities.

Priyanka Dutta