Best Doctors in India for Cauda Equina Syndrome Treatment
Best Hospitals in India for Cauda Equina Syndrome Treatment
Reliance Hospital, Mumbai
- City: Mumbai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Reliance Hospital is one of the best super-specialty care hospitals in Navi Mumbai.
- The main purpose of this hospital is to become a trustworthy place for the best health and hope for society. The hospital is well connected to the suburbs of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
- The hospital has various specialty departments, viz., Accident & Emergency, Anesthesiology, Dental Services, Dermatology, Diabetology, Dietetics Nutrition, Endocrinology, ENT, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Gynaecology And Obstetrics, Hepato Pancreato Biliary Surgery, Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine, Interventional Radiology, Laboratory Medicine, Minimal Access Laparoscopic Surgery, Nephrology, Neurosciences, Opthalmology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Pain Management Palliative Care, Physical Medicine Rehabilitation, Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery, Psychiatry, Pulmonary Medicine, Radiology, Rheumatology, Transplant, Urology Andrology, Vascular Surgery
Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai
- City: Mumbai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre is India’s premier multi-speciality tertiary care hospital and has been recognised as a global medical excellence centre.
- Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre has built an unrivalled level of trust with its patients over the years, thanks to a solid foundation that comprises cutting-edge facilities, the best medical competence, research, education, and charity endeavours.
- The hospital is quite proud of the fact that it now serves patients from all kinds of backgrounds, not just from the United States but from all around the world.
- The hospital has a total of 323 beds, one of the largest Intensive Care Units (ICUs), 12 Operation Theatres with modern amenities, over 300 consultants, and almost 1,800 personnel.
Venkateshwar Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- State-of-the-art technology and devoted healthcare professionals have been brought together under one roof at Venkateshwar Hospital to provide genuine medical care. The hospital’s professionals work together as a team to deliver the best possible treatment to their patients, using the most sophisticated equipment and information technology.
- Venkateshwar Hospital’s mission is to attain global excellence in healthcare by employing evidence-based, ethical clinical practices and cutting-edge technology by a team of highly skilled experts.
MGM Healthcare, Chennai
- City: Chennai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Located in Chennai, India, MGM Healthcare is a top multispecialty hospital that provides all medical services under one roof.
- Since its founding in 2019, MGM Healthcare has quickly become a leading national referral centre, creating several innovative flagship initiatives.
- MGM Healthcare combines next-generation medical and digital technologies to provide better patient results.
- With 12 centres of excellence, more than 400 inpatient beds, 100 intensive care unit beds, and 24/7 emergency care, MGM Healthcare leaves no chance in redefining the patient experience in Chennai.
- MGM Healthcare boasts 250+ expert doctors across 30+ departments, including Cardiology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and more.
- They house 12 specialized Centres of Excellence, including Neurosciences, Orthopaedics, and Multi-Organ Transplantation.
- Their team of doctors, nurses, and paramedics works together to give every patient individualized treatment.
Cauda Equina Syndrome
Lower back pain is known to affect millions of people every year, and in most cases, it also improves without any surgery. However, in some cases, lower back pain can also be a symptom of a serious condition which may often be misdiagnosed. This condition is cauda equina syndrome, which occurs when the nerve roots of the cauda equina are compressed and disrupt motor and sensory function to the lower extremities and bladder.
Patients suffering from this syndrome generally require hospital admittance as a medical emergency. This condition can lead to incontinence and in some cases, even permanent paralysis.
Symptoms
The symptoms of cauda equina syndrome can mimic symptoms of other conditions. It is noteworthy that the symptoms can vary in intensity and can evolve over time.
Patients having back pain may be aware of the following symptoms which might indicate cauda equina syndrome:
- Severe low back pain
- Motor weakness, sensory loss, or pain in one, or more commonly both the legs
- A loss of reflexes
- Recent onset of bowel incontinence
- Recent onset of bladder dysfunction
- Recent onset of sexual dysfunction
- Sensory abnormalities in the bladder or the rectum
- Saddle anesthesia
Causes
Cauda equina syndrome is generally known to occur more often in adults than in children. In children, it occurs among those who have a spinal birth defect or have suffered a spinal injury.
Usually, this condition is caused by the following causes:
- A severe ruptured disk in the lumbar area (the most common cause)
- Narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis)
- A spinal lesion or malignant tumor
- A birth defect such as an abnormal connection between blood vessels
- A spinal infection, inflammation, hemorrhage, or fracture
- A complication from a severe lumbar spine injury which can be a fall, a car crash, a gunshot, or a stabbing
Diagnosis
A doctor can diagnose cauda equina syndrome using any of the following methods:
Medical history
Here you will need to answer questions regarding your health, symptoms, and activity.
Physical exam
This will help to assess your strength, sensation, stability, reflexes, motion, and alignment. A blood test maybe required as well.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
In this method, magnetic fields and computers are used to produce three-dimensional images of the spine.
Myelogram
In this method, a contrast material is injected into the body, after which an X-ray is taken. This can help to pinpoint pressure on the spinal cord or the nerves.
Sometimes, computed tomography or a CT scan might be used as well.
Treatment
Patients suffering from cauda equina syndrome generally require prompt treatment to relieve pressure on the nerves. Surgery needs to be done quickly to prevent any permanent damage, such as paralysis of the legs, loss of bladder and bowel control, sexual function, or any such problems.
Depending on the cause of the condition, high doses of corticosteroids might also be required as it can help in reducing swelling. If you are diagnosed with an infection, antibiotics will be needed. If a tumor is responsible, then radiation therapy or chemotherapy might be required after the surgery.
In some cases, you may not retrieve full function, even after treatment. This is going to depend on how much damage has occurred. However, if the surgery is a success, you might continue to recover bladder and bowel function over a few years.
It is important to note that if permanent damage has occurred, then surgery is not going to always repair it. This condition is chronic. Therefore you will need to learn ways to adapt to changes in the functioning of your body. Both physical and emotional support is necessary.