PUNE: When 38-year-old Nikhil, an IT worker, began experiencing debilitating back pain radiating to his right leg, the diagnosis was clear: He had a large lumbar disc extrusion causing nerve compression. Nikhil tried everything, including painkillers and physio but nothing worked.
That is when spine surgeons at a city hospital offered him something few centers in the world do: a navigation-guided endoscopic lumbar spine surgery , a hybrid procedure in which real-time 3D mapping works in tandem with a pencil-thin endoscope, enabling such precision that no post-op scans (MRI or CT) were needed. "I was back to work within a week," Nikhil said.
Endoscopic spine surgery has been around for a while, celebrated for its minimally invasive benefits. But the addition of spinal navigation tech - like Google Maps, but for the body - has taken the procedure to the next level.
"Infrared-guided trackers and 3D mapping allow us find the exact spot for incisions, decompressions and even screw placements," said Sancheti hospital 's chief spine surgeon Dr Shailesh Hadgaonkar , who treated Nikhil.
This approach greatly reduces radiation exposure compared to traditional fluoroscopic methods. In fact, the navigation system requires just a single 3D scan during surgery, minimising radiation risks to patients and medical staff. "We no longer need post-op MRI or CT scans because it tracks our actions during the procedure, ensuring we hit the right spots," Dr Hadgaonkar added. The technique particularly benefits patients with large disc extrusions or herniations, problems that have not responded well to pain medication or physical therapy.
The technology's continued refinement, including advancements in the endoscopic tools and video quality, has made the procedure even more effective. "Our ability to use radio-frequency plasma ablation to treat tissue is a key development.
It is a tissue-specific method that makes surgery more effective," said Dr Hadgaonkar, also an executive council member of the Endoscopic Spine Foundation of India . He and his team began exploring spinal endoscopy three years ago and have since emerged as one of the few teams worldwide that perform navigation-assisted endoscopic spine fusion surgeries. In last three years, they have performed ver 150 such procedures.
In one case, surgeons placed pedicle screws - devices that stabilise spinal vertebrae - through tiny endoscopic portals with extreme precision. "That is rare even abroad," Dr Hadgaonkar said.
He and his team were among the first to publish a paper on this technique in 2023, in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
That is when spine surgeons at a city hospital offered him something few centers in the world do: a navigation-guided endoscopic lumbar spine surgery , a hybrid procedure in which real-time 3D mapping works in tandem with a pencil-thin endoscope, enabling such precision that no post-op scans (MRI or CT) were needed. "I was back to work within a week," Nikhil said.
Endoscopic spine surgery has been around for a while, celebrated for its minimally invasive benefits. But the addition of spinal navigation tech - like Google Maps, but for the body - has taken the procedure to the next level.
"Infrared-guided trackers and 3D mapping allow us find the exact spot for incisions, decompressions and even screw placements," said Sancheti hospital 's chief spine surgeon Dr Shailesh Hadgaonkar , who treated Nikhil.
This approach greatly reduces radiation exposure compared to traditional fluoroscopic methods. In fact, the navigation system requires just a single 3D scan during surgery, minimising radiation risks to patients and medical staff. "We no longer need post-op MRI or CT scans because it tracks our actions during the procedure, ensuring we hit the right spots," Dr Hadgaonkar added. The technique particularly benefits patients with large disc extrusions or herniations, problems that have not responded well to pain medication or physical therapy.
The technology's continued refinement, including advancements in the endoscopic tools and video quality, has made the procedure even more effective. "Our ability to use radio-frequency plasma ablation to treat tissue is a key development.
It is a tissue-specific method that makes surgery more effective," said Dr Hadgaonkar, also an executive council member of the Endoscopic Spine Foundation of India . He and his team began exploring spinal endoscopy three years ago and have since emerged as one of the few teams worldwide that perform navigation-assisted endoscopic spine fusion surgeries. In last three years, they have performed ver 150 such procedures.
In one case, surgeons placed pedicle screws - devices that stabilise spinal vertebrae - through tiny endoscopic portals with extreme precision. "That is rare even abroad," Dr Hadgaonkar said.
He and his team were among the first to publish a paper on this technique in 2023, in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
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