Procedure offers excellent outcome for cervical spondylosis, herniated or degenerative discs in the neck with reduced post-surgical pain, while achieving both stability and mobility

28th January, 2019; Ras Al Khaimah, UAE:   Offering an efficient and highly innovative alternative for spine surgeries, RAK Hospital introduces Hybrid Cervical Spine Surgery which treats multiple levels of disc disease within the neck by utilizing a combination of Artificial Disc Replacement and Spinal Fusion technology. Patients suffering from a combination of herniated and degenerative discs in the neck will benefit from hybrid cervical spine surgery while the recovery is known to be faster, with a reduced amount of post-surgical pain.

With several successful surgeries under its belt, RAK Hospital has particularly gained patients’ confidence for conducting the complicated procedure that aims to preserve the normal function and motion of the neck, while maintaining stability. The minimal access surgery also reduces the stress on nearby healthy discs, alleviating the damage to other discs and joints.  

Cervical spondylosis is a natural process, and in many cases non-surgical treatments can relieve the neck pain. However, in cases where surgery is required, the more common treatments include Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) and Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR). While they do provide pain relief, they have their limitations: ACDF results in a loss of mobility at the treated segment and ADR – even though it provides range of movement – is not suitable for patient with multilevel disc disease and osteoporosis. 

“Hybrid Cervical Spine Surgery addresses both the issues,” explained Dr Tinku Jose Kurisinkal, Consultant Neurosurgeon at RAK Hospital, “And while a few hospitals in the UAE have conducted the surgery to treat the discs at one or two-levels, RAK Hospital is perhaps the only healthcare facility which has surgically treated degenerative discs at three and four levels. Basically the procedure entails using artificial discs in place of herniated disc, supported by spinal fusion to bring stability within the neck.  

“Our experience with treating patients with cervical spondylosis at RAK Hospital by this new technique has shown very promising results. All our patients had excellent surgical outcomes with reduced post-surgical pain; they were able to engage in light activity few hours after surgery, and experienced wider range of neck movement and better quality of life,” added Dr Kurisinkal.

Speaking during the Arab Health Exhibition 2019, Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO of Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director at RAK Hospital said: “Like most of the world, UAE population also suffers from what is known as ‘text neck syndrome’, which puts excessive strain on the spine. While at one level we, at RAK Hospital, are creating awareness to prevent the condition, at another level we are constantly exploring innovative options to provide relief to those who are suffering from it. Using Hybrid Cervical Spine Surgery is just one more example of the hospital’s determination to master novel techniques and clinical expertise”.

A forerunner in innovative surgical procedures, RAK Hospital became the first healthcare institution in the UAE to conduct life-saving, non-surgical balloon dilation procedure and introduce gyroscope-based technology for a more accurate alignment in knee replacement surgeries.