AI-aided robotic spinal procedures aiding faster recovery at minimal risks

April 22, 2023 17 Views No Comment

Fear of paralysis more a myth than fact, says spine surgeon from BLK-Max

Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 22

Paralysis has been a pervasive fear, concerning surgery of the spine, often preventing patients from seeking medical procedure. However, with the advent of AI-aided robotic spine surgery, this fear can be laid to rest, asserted Dr Puneet Girdhar, who heads Orthopaedic Spine Surgery at the BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi.

“In spinal surgery, the major fear has been paralysis and prolonged bedrest (road to recovery). However, it is more a myth than fact,” he told a press conference, on April 21, at the Eden Medical Centre (EMC), Dimapur.

Dr Girdhar, who has performed nearly 12,000 spinal surgeries using minimal invasive techniques at the BLK-Max, was in Dimapur as part of an ongoing collaboration between BLK-Max and EMC aimed at providing state of the art medical procedures to patients at the BLK-Max and also consultations with specialists from BLK-Max at the EMC. The collaboration has been on for around 5 years now.

According to him, he has treated around a 100 patients from Nagaland in the 2 years he has been visiting EMC as a consultant from BLK-Max. His latest visit to Dimapur was backdropped by BLK-Max introducing what was claimed to be “India’s Most Advanced Integrated Robotic System for Spine Surgery.”

A media handout stated that the technology is designed to increase safety of spine surgery “where precision and accuracy are key factors for best outcomes” minimising complications. “This is the only robotic system that combines surgical navigation and robotic guidance for spinal surgery, which offers significant advantages to spine surgeons. The system has been designed to facilitate procedural efficiency,” the handout said.

“Malplacement of screws” is regarded as the main fear during spine surgery. However, it maintained, “These complications can be now avoided completely by using robotic spine surgery by placing screws accurately and faster with most desired outcome.”

Dr Girdhar added that the AI-aided robotic procedure increases precision and accuracy to 98-100 percent, with “smaller incisions, minimal invasive muscle dissections and no or minimal blood loss.”

In his 18 years career, 13 of which have been with BLK-Max, he said, “I have seen the entire journey of spinal surgery involving robotics… I have seen it evolve from open techniques to microscopic techniques to endoscopic techniques to daycare surgeries, where the patient comes in the morning, goes back home in the evening.”

While stating that the technology assures high safety standard at par with other surgical procedures known today, he said that it is allaying the fear of spinal surgery among patients.

Besides the fear of surgical error, the price factor has been another concern preventing many from opting high-tech spinal procedures. According to him, modern technology and techniques have made spine surgery “a little expensive” but one should also consider the cost-effectiveness that technology offers. He reminded that the traditional method implied greater invasive techniques and longer recovery, translating into higher hospital charges.

He said, “The cost effectiveness comes into play when the patient we see walks the next day after surgery… In a couple of week’s time, the patient is able to go back to work. So physiologically and psychologically the patient feels functionally much better than the traditional (procedures) would have provided.”

In a nutshell, high precision, minimal incision, minimal tissue damage, minimal blood loss, smaller scars and faster recovery are what the technology promises.

Procedures using the technology, excluding hospital charges, is said to cost Rs 2-5.5 lakhs on average. Inclusive of all hospital charges, Dr Girdhar said that the cost would range from Rs 8 lakhs to 12 lakhs.

Abhinay Jain, Head of Sales & Marketing, BLK-Max, said that the hospital offers a discount of 10 percent for any patient from Nagaland.

Dr Lima Imchen, Managing Director of EMC said that the collaboration with the BLK-Max has benefited “a lot of our people and we hope to carry this on for a long time.” He said that according to the feedback of the patients from Nagaland, BLK-Max stands out as far as health delivery and services were concerned.