Medical travel to Mexico offers US patients suffering from degenerative disc disease a non-invasive alternative to a lifetime of back pain. Millions of Americans today live with crippling back pain. It impacts every facet of their daily lives, often forcing them to quit work and relinquish responsibilities at home. For some of these men and women, there is the option of surgery – specifically, spinal fusion, long considered the “gold standard’ of back pain treatment once conservative treatments have been exhausted. But spinal fusion surgery can be costly – as high as $75,000 or more – with only about one in four candidates for the procedure able afford it. Having the surgery in Mexico helps with costs, but doesn’t change the fact that that spinal fusion is an invasive procedure that fails as much as 30% of the time to reduce the patient’s pain.
Fortunately, advancements in spinal medical technology offer men and women with degenerative disc disease another option: a revolutionary non-invasive alternative called Lumbar Dynamic Stabilization, which achieves better results without the complications that can arise from the more invasive spinal fusion surgery.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is a natural part of aging for many men and women. The human spine is designed to be an interlocking series of discs, absorbing shocks to the spine and allowing for the full range of movement we enjoy. However, that structure also makes your spine inherently fragile.
Over time, vertebrae naturally rub together, causing stress and, for some, loss of the protective material that ensures fluid movement within the discs. This can lead to a number of serious problems, all of which cause severe pain that will persist as long as the condition remains untreated.
Common Back Illnesses
Several spinal conditions develop as a reaction to back stress and are classified as degenerative disc disease. Osteoarthritis is among the most common. In osteoarthritis, the tissues that help separate and protect the different vertebrae begin to break down, putting more wear and tear on the structures and causing friction that leads to pain. In some cases, the softer tissues can also begin to harden, causing the same discomfort.
Herniated discs are another common ailment that causes back pain. A herniated disc typically requires back surgery; Mexico doctors are often an optimal choice for procedures of this type due to the high cost of the surgery stateside and the complicated hoops to jump through for insurance.
Back surgery in Mexico is one excellent option for affordable surgical options to treat herniated discs. Whether a disc bursts or bulges, U.S. patients can find state-of-the-art hospitals in Mexico with top international (and many U.S. – trained) surgeons performing a retinue of back surgeries designed to end pain and restore normal functioning.
Spinal stenosis is a final common condition that can develop with age. In this case, the spinal canal that runs through the center of the spinal cord begins to narrow, which can put pressure on the delicate nerves and tissues that run through the usually open space. This condition is potentially quite serious, as these nerves are responsible for the majority of the body’s functioning, including voluntary movement of the limbs as well as involuntary functions such as breathing and digestion.
An Alternative To Spinal Fusion Surgery
In previous years, the top surgical treatment for degenerative disc disease has been spinal fusion surgery. In this procedure, discs are fused together, preventing further degeneration and decreasing pain by decreasing the patient’s range of motion. However, the drawbacks to the surgery are significant. Spinal fusion surgery is only effective in significantly decreasing pain about 70% of the time. It is a costly surgery, and takes weeks and even months to recover. Add to that a cost that is often more than $75,000 and the fact that few insurance plans cover the procedure, and it is easy to see why so many are desperate for a solution.
A new stabilization surgery made possible by a medical device developed by Interventional Spine may be the revolution spinal pain sufferers have been waiting for. The PercuDyn System is a removable implant device that allows patients to retain more mobility and flexibility than spinal fusion; the surgical procedure to implant the device takes about 15 minutes, without only local anesthetic. The surgery is still in clinical trial stages in the U.S., but has been performed more than 400 times in Mexico and Europe. The surgery is called Lumbar Dynamic Stabilization, or LDS, and is exclusively available in Baja California at Hospital Angeles Tijuana, where the surgical protocol was written by a Hospital Angeles Tijuana spinal surgeon who has himself performed 200 of these procedures.
Advantages of Back Stabilization Surgery in Mexico
The early success and promise of the PercuDyn System demonstrates clearly that when a patient decides to work with a Mexico spinal fusion surgery specialist, that patient will have access to the same medically advanced high quality care that one would expect in the U.S. but at a much lower cost. Working with Hospital Angeles Tijuana, means access not just to affordable medicine, but also access to cutting edge medicine, including non-invasive spinal surgery. The LDS Lumbar Dynamic Stabilization surgery has the same results as spinal fusion surgery, but offers a shorter recovery time. Whether you choose the most cutting edge minimally invasive technique or the traditional spinal fusion surgery, Hospital Angeles Tijuana can provide you with an affordable medical travel package for back surgery, Mexico.