Best Doctors in India for Discogram
- Orthopedic Surgeon & Spine Surgeon, Mumbai, India
- Over 25 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Ram Chaddha is a specialist Spine Surgeon in Mumbai with expertise in the management and treatment of all kinds of spinal disorders for over 25 years.
- Dr. Chaddha is trained in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and is also among the few surgeons in India to hold expertise in Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Spine Surgery.
- Dr. Ram Chaddha spent a considerable number of years training undergraduate and postgraduate students and has also been an examiner for such courses at Mumbai University.
- Orthopedic Surgeon and Spine Surgeon, Mumbai, India
- Over 20 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Vishal Peshattiwar is a leading Spine Surgeon in Mumbai specializing in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeries (MISS)
- He has an experience of more than 2 decades in spine surgery and holds the credit of performing over 4000 spinal surgeries to
- He is the first in India to use the MISS technique on a patient with liver failure and Tuberculosis.
- Dr. Vishal Peshattiwar’s most notable case till date was performing a Revision Spine Surgery through MISS on the oldest patient in India.
- Orthopedic & Spine Surgeon, New Delhi, India
- Over 14 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Om Prakash Gupta is a reputed Spine Surgeon in India.
- He is currently functioning as a Consultant – Orthopedics & Spine at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi
- He has over 14 years of experience.
- Orthopedic Surgeon, Chennai, India
- Over 21 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. A Navaladi Shankar is a well-known spine surgeon and orthopedist in Chennai with 21+ years of experience.
- He completed an MBBS from Al-Ameen Medical College, MNAMS from the National Board of Education, and a Diploma from Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute.
- Dr. Shankar holds expertise in Laminectomy, Lower Back Pain and Neck Pain Treatment, Arthritis Management, and Trauma Surgery.
- Orthopedic Surgeon & Spine Surgeon, New Delhi, India
- Over 18 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Amit Kumar Agarwal is a Delhi-based orthopedic, joint replacement, and spine surgeon consultant who has been assuring joint and spine health for about 18 years.
- Dr. Agarwal has garnered numerous accolades for his work in treating Joints and Musculoskeletal Disorders, pain management, sports injury, and articular degeneration during his career.
- Orthopedic and Spine Surgeon, Gurugram, India
- Over 25 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Rajesh Kumar Verma can be generally considered a boon for people suffering from complex, bone, joint, or spine disorders.
- Currently known as one of India’s leading spine experts in India, Dr. Rajesh Kumar Verma performs as many as 50 surgeries in a month. The types of surgeries he performs include all types of spine surgeries, joint replacements, as well as complex trauma surgeries.
- Orthopedic Surgeon and Spine Surgeon, Chennai, India
- Over 12 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Madhu Kiran Yarlagadda is an orthopedics – consultant specializing in Joint and spine surgery and works at the Apollo hospitals of Chennai.
- Dr. Madhu Kiran Yarlagadda’s team carried out Robotic Spine Surgery for the first time in South-East Asia and performed Endoscopic Transforaminal Spine Surgery in Chennai.
- He treats spine diseases and has the facilities and expertise to perform robotic spine surgery. Along with that, he treats patients with joint and other orthopedic issues.
- Spine Surgeon and Orthopaedic Surgeon, Chennai, India
- Over 18 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Muralidharan Venkatesan is a consultant in spine surgery from Chennai.
- He provides comprehensive cervical (neck), thoracic (upper back), and lumbosacral (lower back) conditions treatment.
- Dr. Venkatesan pursued MBBS, MRCS, and a fellowship FRCS and shifted his specialization to spinal surgery.
- Dr. Venkatesan has his papers published in several journals.
- Orthopedic Surgeon and Spine Surgeon, Chennai, India
- Over 23 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Ravi Venkatesan is a spine surgery specialist from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- His experience in spine surgery, orthopedics, and spine deformity surgery date back nearly 23 years.
- Dr. Venkatesan has performed several surgeries and has been an active member of various orthopedics groups.
- Many organizations have recognized his service and have awarded him for his dedication.
- Orthopedic Surgeon and Spine Surgeon, Gurugram, India
- Over 15 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Hitesh Garg is one of the best spine surgeons in Gurugram.
- Dr. Hitesh Garg has undertaken over 5000 spine surgical operations, including 2500+ spinal fusions (TLIF, ACDF, and others); 1000 malformation revision operations (Scoliosis and kyphosis), 300 lumbar and cervical artificial disc replacements, 500 fracture treatments, and 500 other intricate procedures such as a spinal tumor, congenital defects, and spinopelvic fixations.
Best Hospitals in India for Discogram
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.
DISCOGRAM
Discogram, also known as a discography, is an interventional diagnostic imaging test. It can help determine whether a specific intervertebral disc is the cause of your back pain. Spinal discs are cushions between the bones of the spine. They are made up of cartilage and a jellylike substance. Their purpose is to act as shock absorbers between the bones in your spine.
Purpose
A discogram is generally not used for the initial evaluation of back pain. But your doctor may suggest it if you continue to experience back pain, despite conservative treatments such as physical therapy and medication.
Sometimes a discogram is also used before a spinal fusion surgery, as it can help identify which disks require removal. However, it is noteworthy that a discogram is not always accurate in pinpointing which disk is leading to back pain. Therefore, many doctors prefer other tests, such as CT scan and MRI for diagnosing disk problems and guiding treatment.
Preparation
Before the procedure, a blood test might be required to determine how well your kidneys are functioning and whether your blood clots normally. You will also need to inform your doctor about all the medications and supplements that you take. If you have an allergy to local anesthetic, general anesthesia, or to contrast materials, you should let him/her know about this as well.
Also, let your doctor know about any of your recent illnesses or any other medical conditions.
It is likely that you will be instructed not to consume any food or drink the midnight before the procedure. Your doctor will also let you know if it is okay to take any of your medications on the morning of the procedure.
You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home after the procedure.
Procedure
First, you will need to change into a hospital gown. Then you will lie on a table, or on your side. After your skin is cleansed, your doctor will likely inject a numbing medicine to decrease the pain caused by the insertion of the discogram needle.
After this, your doctor will be using an imaging technique such as fluoroscopy, in order to watch the discogram needle enter the body. Fluoroscopy helps to allow more precise and safe placement of the needle into the center of the disk that needs to be examined. Then a contrast dye is injected into the disk, and then an X-ray or CT scan is taken to see if the dye spreads.
If the dye stays in the center of the disk, then the disk is normal. If it spreads outside the center of the disk, it indicates that your disk has undergone some wear-and-tear change. These changes may or may not be the cause of the pain.
In most cases, if the disk is the cause of your back pain, then you should feel pain during the injection, which is similar to the back pain that you normally experience daily. However, if the disk is normal, there is very little pain during the injection. You will also be asked to describe and rate your pain during the procedure.
After the procedure
After the procedure, you will be remaining in the room, for around 30-60 minutes so that you can be observed. After that, you are able to go home, but you will need someone to drive you.
It is not unusual to experience some pain at the injection site or in the lower back for several hours, after the procedure. You can apply an ice pack to the area for about 20 minutes, as this might help. You will also need to keep your back dry for 24 hours.
Within a week or two after the procedure, if you experience severe back pain or a fever, let your doctor know right away.
Results
Your doctor will review the images and the information that you provided regarding the pain you experienced during the procedure, and this will help to pinpoint the source of your back pain. This information will be used by your doctor, to guide your treatment or prepare for the surgery.
Generally, doctors don’t rely on the results of a discogram alone as sometimes a disk with wear-and-tear might not cause any pain. Also, pain responses during a discogram may also vary widely.
Generally, results of a discogram are combined with results of other tests, like an MRI or a CT scan and physical examination, when determining a treatment plan for back pain.
Risks
Though it is most generally safe, a few risks of complications are associated with a discogram, which includes:
- Infection
- Allergic reaction to the dye
- Worsening of chronic back pain
- Injury to nerves or blood vessels in and/or around the spine
- Headache