In a three-month period, one in four adults in the United States experience at least one day of back pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Most back pain is short lived and requires only simple, conservative treatment. However, in certain situations, corrective surgery might be necessary. Dr. Rahul Basho, orthopedic surgeon and Director of the Hannibal Regional Spine Center, continues to be a leader in conservative back pain treatment and surgery in northeast Missouri. He consistently utilizes the most up-to-date techniques and technology to provide the best possible outcomes for patients. Dr. Basho and his team are routinely recognized by Healthgrades for their exceptional care, most recently with the 2022 Five-Star Recipient for Spinal Fusion Surgery and 2022 America’s 100 Best in Orthopedic Surgery awards.
“Spine surgery is one of the fastest changing fields in medicine. Minimally invasive surgery, stem cells and disk replacements are some of the cutting-edge treatments that I offer our community,” says Dr. Basho.
In adults with instability of the spine, a spinal fusion could be recommended. This procedure is used to correct irregularities such as scoliosis, complications of severe arthritis and significant disk damage. Spinal fusions are achieved by connecting two vertebrae together, thus increasing strength and stability. This is accomplished through surgical placement of pedicle screws which are stabilized with connecting rods. Traditionally a fusion would be performed through a large incision and patients were usually in the hospital for up to five days after such a procedure. Dr. Basho was the first to introduce minimally invasive spine surgery to Hannibal Regional Hospital. This surgery provides the same results through significantly smaller incisions. Benefits of the minimally invasive option include:
· Shorter anesthesia times
· Less blood
· Decreased risk for infection
· Less pain
· Faster wound healing
· Better cosmetic appearance of scars
· Lower complication rate
· Minimal damage to muscles and soft tissue
· Less dependence on pain medication post-operatively
· Shorter hospital stays (some patients may go home the day of surgery)
Computer guided spine navigation has added further benefit to Dr. Basho’s patients. The navigation platform allows the surgeon to visualize the spine and pre-plan screw size and placement before an incision is even made. Spine navigation utilizes three-dimensional technology to generate a virtual image of the spine. This provides real-time feedback to the surgeon on screw placement and has been shown to increase accuracy, while reducing intra-operative radiation.
Stem cells harvested from the patient’s own bone marrow are also being utilized in many of the surgeries offered by Dr. Basho. This is used to promote bone growth and regeneration of cells in a variety of procedures. The use of these cells has been shown to increase the success rate in most fusions.
Patients that suffer from significant degenerative disc disease in the neck and might not be a good candidate for a fusion could benefit from a cervical artificial disk replacement. The disk replacement is designed to mimic the patient’s natural disk, enabling them to regain their range of motion and return to normal daily activities as soon as possible.
“When I started practicing spine surgery 12 years ago, the things we are able to do now would have been seen as science-fiction. Using navigation, I can now visualize the spine before I even make an incision. It’s an exciting time in the field of spine surgery because we now have more options to treat a wider number of problems,” shares Dr. Basho.
To find out more about how the team at Hannibal Regional Spine Center can help you, call (844)474-2225.