Apollo Super Speciality Hospital, Al Hail's Orthopedic and Spine Surgical Center of Excellence performed Oman's First Transforaminal Discectomy Endoscopically (Key Hole), marking a significant technological advancement for spine surgery in the Sultanate..
The surgery was performed by a team led by Dr Sultan Al Kalbani, Department of Orthopedics, Spine, and Sports Medicine at Apollo Super Speciality Hospital. The department offers a comprehensive range of services for patients with joint, spine, and sports-related injuries.
“The team and I at Apollo Hospital Al Hail managed to do the first surgery performed in Oman using this technique in April of this year. The patient had previous surgery 10 years back and came to us with recurrence. The traditional open surgery would have been extensive, which would have included putting screws and rods. The recovery would have taken weeks and patient would have suffered from chronic back pain. After doing the endoscopic surgery the patient had immediate pain relief and was discharged the next day,” said Dr Kalbani.
Transforaminal endoscopic discectomy is a recent development in spine surgery. It can be performed through a small incision using no muscle dissection. The advantage is that the patients would have very minimal surgical pain and can return to work immediately.
The patient had foraminal disc prolapse, causing severe compression of spinal root. He is extremely happy, grateful and has returned to his normal daily activities.
“This surgery can be done for most paracentral disc prolapses. It is especially useful for foraminal and extraforaminal disc herniation in which traditional surgery includes instrumentation (metal work) while with endoscopy there is no need for instrumentation saving the patient from extensive muscle dissection and pain,” explained Dr Al Kalbani, who is also currently the president of Oman Spine Society.
The Spine Care Center within the Department of Orthopedics, Spine, and Sports Medicine at Apollo Super Speciality Hospital offers a comprehensive range of services for patients with joint, spine, and sports-related injuries. The department with a team of highly trained orthopedic surgeons include sports medicine specialists, physiotherapists, and rehabilitation experts who are dedicated to delivering the best possible care to patients.
Back problems are unfortunately becoming more prevalent, especially due to sedentary lifestyle. Dr Kalbani’s advise to everyone is to maintain good amount of physical activity, at least 10k steps per day.
“Play at least half an hour or indulge in cardio exercises like running or swimming every other day. It is important to maintain healthy weight and avoid sitting for longer than half an hour without stretching,” Pointed out Dr Kalbani.
