Spinal Fusion is a controversial topic, but often this is the last resort for people who have literally exhausted themselves undertaking orthopedic treatments of little help. Although this procedure requires extensive post surgical care, yet it is becoming a popular affair in the medical tourism industry. Increasing numbers of people are considering the prospect to travel to undertake spinal fusions. This treatment is helpful in curing various spinal conditions. Spinal Fusions are also effective in treating various spinal injuries and tumors. Stabilizing an unstable and weak backbone is the area of expertise, performed under spinal fusions. This procedure comes handy when almost all other measures have failed to provide effective results.
Spinal Fusion as an incentive to medical travel
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Significant increase in spinal fusions
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Spinal Fusion and the increase in medical tourism
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Policy measures for spinal infusions
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Time is an important aspect for spinal procedures
Significant increase in spinal fusions:
There has been a huge increase in the number of spinal fusions performed. The biggest reason for this huge increase has been due to technological up gradation, today spinal surgeries have become safer in general. Sometimes Spinal Fusions are inevitable considering the condition of the patients. This has led to a massive increase in people opting for spinal fusions. However, one should always keep in mind that spinal fusions should be performed only when all other measures fail; this procedure is an intricate one and has to be performed in consultation of the specialists.
Spinal Fusion and the increase in medical tourism:
There has been a significant increase in the number of patients travelling abroad for Spinal Fusions. This procedure is an expensive one and high physician reimbursements in the US are one of the biggest reasons for spinal infusions being avoided there. This has made many people travel abroad for Spinal Fusions, which has indeed contributed to the medical tourism industry. Mostly uninsured people travel to popular medical tourism destinations for availing this medical treatment. Popular destinations for Spinal Fusions are India, Costa Rica, and Thailand. Most of the medical centers here are accredited by the Joint Commission International, and have specialized staff for performing these intricate procedures.
Policy measures for spinal infusions:
To provide optimal spine care to the patients, ISASS (The International Advancement for Spine Surgery), has aimed to strategize and discuss the measures also innovating spinal surgeries and the policy statements so related. A clear recommendation has been stated regarding when Spinal Fusions can be performed and when not. The aim of any spinal fusion should be to improve the quality of life of a patient who has been suffering over the ages.
The scenarios when spinal fusions can be performed are:
- Emergency situations
- Previous surgery failures
- Flat – Back Syndrome
- Any kind of deformity
- Pseudoarthrosis
- Stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease etc
Time is an important aspect for spinal procedures:
Spinal infusions require adequate time for pre and post surgery recovery. Medical travel has to be planned keeping in mind the time aspect. It takes a little longer to recover from spinal infusions, make sure that you have ample time before you undergo this procedure in order to avoid legal and medical implications.
Spinal Fusions has become a major attraction for medical travelers. The prospects of availing medical treatments anywhere in the world, with an added incentive to save have provided a boost to the medical tourism industry. Technological advents have made Spinal surgeries way safer and easier to be performed; this has led to the increase in the spinal fusions throughout the world. Today spinal surgeries have become minimally invasive, in comparison to these spinal fusions are yet invasive and therefore, these should only be performed as the last resort, after careful analysis of the patient condition.
Summary
Spinal infusions are expensive medical procedures and this is the main reason people travel to medical tourism destination to undertake these procedures. However, these are complex and intricate procedures and should be performed only by the specialists, and only when absolutely needed.
