Aster CMI Bangalore provides latest minimal access spinal therapy.
At Aster CMI Hospital, our doctors specialize in state-of-art Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery treatments. Our goal with MISS is simple. To accomplish better clinical outcomes than a traditional "OPEN" Surgery, using a less traumatic approach.
Dr. Umesh Srikantha, is a highly acclaimed spine surgeon working in Bangalore as a Consultant and Head of spine services at Aster CMI Hospital. His areas of special interest are Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS), Endoscopic Spine surgery, complex spine surgery, Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery and Neuro- oncology.
He completed his MBBS from Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli, Karnataka, followed by M.Ch training in Neurosurgery from the prestigious National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka where he received the silver jubilee award for best outgoing student. After working as a general neurosurgeon for a few years, he developed an active interest in the field of spine surgery and further pursued his training by doing a Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery from Nanoori Hospital, South Korea with Dr. S Lee.
He is also trained in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, and neuro-oncology And has been a part of several research projects on brain tumours.
He has a rich experience of performing close to 2000 Minimally Invasive spine surgeries with an overall experience of more than 4500 surgeries in brain and spine. His experience in MISS ranges from basic surgeries like lumbar microdiscectomy, foraminotomy and decompression surgeries to the most complex spinal fusion surgeries for advanced pathologies like tumors, multi-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy and high-grade spondylolisthesis. He is one of the top surgeon faculties in the country for MISS, having trained more than a 100 aspiring surgeons to adopt MISS through more than 40 advanced training programs of different formats. He has also presented his advanced MISS cases at a number of conferences.
An ever enthusiastic professional, he has participated in various training programs and workshops and has several publications in peer reviewed journals to his credit.
Silver jubilee award for the best outgoing student from NIMHANS, Bangalore.
Pioneering cadaver work on minimally invasive spine surgery for the cervical spine and cranio-vertebral junction, which has been successfully applied into clinical practice.
Invited faculty for several workshops and conferences on minimally invasive spine surgery.
Conducted several cadaveric hands-on training courses and trained more than 100 surgeons from all over the country on minimally invasive spine surgery.
More than 20 publications in renowned national and international journals and authored chapters on Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery.
What constitutes a healthy back?
Our spine is nature's extraordinary miracle. Several complex structures come together to provide the human body with a fine balance of protection, support, strength and movement. A healthy spine is not just the bony segments but a combination of several 'supporting structures' - protective discs, strong muscles and attached ligaments and tendons. The 24 bony segments or vertebral bodies or vertebrae in the spine are interspersed with a tough, yet soft gel-like cushion or shock-absorber, called intervertebral disc. The muscles surrounding the spine or 'para-spinal muscles' are attached to the bones through ligaments. Together these structures, called the 'natural tension band' provide mobility, strength and protection to the back. The core of our spine's movement, structure and flexibility comes from complex biomechanics of the bony vertebrae and supporting structures. Often compared to a 'crane', it is said that for the spine to be stable, all elements must be intact and function in unison.
What can I do to maintain my spinal health?
A healthy back is a combination of healthy bones, mobile joints, and strong muscles. Unfortunately, a complex system like our back or spine is prone to issues arising from one or more malfunctioning elements. Any disturbance to the spine and it's supporting structures due to aging, trauma, lifestyle stresses or other pathologies can lead to spinal complications, most commonly appearing as back or neck pain. Maintaining a healthy spine is almost non-negotiable to ensure a healthy, pain-free and active life. Simple activities such as maintaining healthy posture, regular exercise, good nutrition and regular exposure to the sun, go a long way in maintaining a healthy spine.
What is causing my unresolved back pain?
How can a Spine Specialist help me?
Visiting a spine surgeon does not mean you will need spine surgery! A specialist can understand and interpret the root cause of your back pain through some simple tests like X-rays, MRI or CT Scans. Also a spine specialist has comprehensive training and experience to understand spinal anatomy, correlate symptoms to pathology, and recommend and offer surgical or non-surgical treatment options. This makes them much better-equipped to manage your spinal issues effectively.
A spine specialist may diagnose you as a candidate for surgery if they feel that your problem is advanced. The nature of the spine is such that degeneration or damage to one part can trigger a cascade which can start affecting other healthy parts as well. Therefore, a surgeon may suggest that in certain cases, surgery may be the right option for you. Spine surgery has been around for several decades and has evolved into a very safe procedure. Surgeons have the dual advantage of rigorous training and advanced technologies that ensure safe and satisfying outcomes. A large number of patients are known to have benefitted after spine surgery performed for conditions such as lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, disc herniation. Talk to your surgeon openly about your concerns!
What are my options? What will life be like post-surgery?
Traditional methods of spine surgery, or 'open spine surgery require long incisions down the middle of the back and stripping of muscles and ligamentous attachments to the spine. Moreover, the muscles are pulled and held apart to grant a surgeon access to the spine for the surgery duration. This can range from one hour to several hours. The invasive and traumatic nature of open spine surgery, compromises the vital supporting structures of the spine that play an important role in maintaining the strength and flexibility of your back. This method of surgery will address a surgeon's operative goal, i.e. relieving the pressed nerve or spinal cord. However, it compromises on the natural anatomy and exposes the patient to weakness of the back post-surgery leading to compromised muscle strength and flexibility, and pain.
What should I be asking before undergoing MISS?
Since MISS is technically challenging, enough care is taken on different aspects to ensure a safe and good outcome. It is important for you, as a patient considering MISS, that your surgeon is well-trained, and has enough experience of performing a wide range of spine key-hole surgeries. In addition, the hospital staff and infrastructure should also support performing these Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeries with accuracy, precision and safety. MISS is a way of life at Aster. More than 90% of the spinal surgeries here are done through minimally invasive techniques. Aster is probably the only hospital that 'regularly' does MISS for cervical pathologies and complex spine cases.
Dr. Umesh Srikantha, Consultant and Head of spine services at Aster CMI Hospital Bangalore, has performed close to 2000 minimally invasive spine surgeries in the past decade. His experience in MISS ranges from basic surgeries like lumbar microdiscectomy, foraminotomy and decompression surgeries to the most complex spinal fusion surgeries for advanced pathologies like tumors, multi-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy and high-grade spondylolisthesis. He is one of the top surgeon faculties in the country for MISS, having trained more than a hundred aspiring surgeons to adopt MISS through advanced training programs. The OR team at Aster CMI Hospital Bangalore also has rich experience of supporting MISS and is proficient with the use of complex MISS instrumentation and high-end technologies such as navigation and neuro-monitoring.
We all know how the advent of data connectivity, GPS and Google Maps, has simplified road travel for the common man. We rarely feel the need to stop and to ask for directions. More importantly, we are able to reach the correct destination in the shortest possible time. Similarly, modern and state-of-the-art hospitals offering spine treatment invest in and routinely use surgical navigation technologies. The use of surgical navigation systems along with advanced pre-surgery planning software has revolutionized a spine surgeon's ability to visualize the anatomy in 3D and perform more accurate surgeries even through smaller skin incisions and narrow tubes. In addition, the use of intra-operative neuro monitoring ensures critical nerve structures are monitored and protected through the course of Spine surgery. At Aster, these advanced enabling technologies are used routinely to ensure spine surgery is performed with utmost accuracy, precision and safety.
We all know how the advent of data connectivity, GPS and Google Maps, has simplified road travel for the common man. We rarely feel the need to stop and to ask for directions. More importantly, we are able to reach the correct destination in the shortest possible time. Similarly, modern and state-of- the-art hospitals invest in and routinely use surgical navigation technologies. The use of surgical navigation systems along with advanced pre-surgery planning software has revolutionized a surgeon's ability to visualize the anatomy in 3D and perform more accurate surgeries even through smaller skin incisions and narrow tubes. In addition, the use of intra-operative neuro monitoring ensures critical nerve structures are monitored and protected through the course of Spine surgery. At Aster, these advanced enabling technologies are used routinely to ensure MISS is performed with utmost accuracy, precision and safety.
Traditional methods of spine surgery, or 'open procedures' require long incisions down the middle of the back and stripping of muscles and ligamentous attachments to the spine. Moreover, the muscles are pulled and held apart to grant a surgeon access to the spine for the surgery duration. This can range from one hour to several hours. The invasive and traumatic nature of open spine surgery, compromises the vital supporting structures of the spine that play an important role in maintaining the strength and flexibility of your back.
A more recent method of performing spine surgery is called 'minimally invasive spine surgery' (MISS). Minimally invasive spine surgery techniques are far better for a patient because they aim to address the root cause of your spinal problem safely and completely, without disturbing the spine's natural supporting structures.