Please prepare your :

• CAT/MRI films or CD,
• Filled patient history form,
• Written description of your current pains, problems and symptoms.

There are few methods of MRI transfer:

• Uploading MRI to the server:
• If you have MRI on CD, please compress all the files from the CD and upload on some free web server like dropbox.com, skydrive.com, uploading.com, etc.
• If you have MRI films, you can put them on a light source and take a pictures with a digital camera (example image). After that, you can upload that files on some free web server like dropbox.com, skydrive.com, uploading.com, etc.
• For booth of this processes, we offer free consulting service (phone, skype). We are able to connect to your PC and do the job (transfer of the files to our servers).
• Sending by e-mail:
• If you are able to extract images from MRI viewer software, you can send images via -email – info@spine-surgery-croatia.com.
• If you have MRI films, and you pictured them with a digital camera, you can send that images via e-mail - info@spine-surgery-croatia.com.
• Sending by normal post:
• If you preffer sending by normal post, please use only this address:

VERTEBRIS INTERNATIONAL SPINE HOSPITAL
Petrovaradinska 1/8
10000 Zagreb
Croatia
Contact phone: +385 95 805 67 97

When you are done with above, please make sure to fill the form bellow and inform us that you have send us your MRI so we can expect it and track it is possible:

This congress (course) as awlays has attracted most of the leading name of world spinal surgery like dr. John C. Chiu (USA), dr. P. Choi (Brasil), dr. Destandau (France), dr. Dezawa (Japan), dr. Hellinger (Germany), dr. Sang-Ho Lee (South Korea), dr. Schubert (Germany), dr. Tolgay Satana (Turkey), and others.

Dr. Saftic’s invitation to this congress (course) is big award for up his up to date work at Vertebris International Spine Hospital and for his efforts in developing minimally-invasive spine surgery in Croatia.

Please remember that this type of surgery, in comparison to traditional spine surgery, ensures bigger patient satisfaction, quicker recovery, less blood loss, less need for post-operative medications, quicker return to daily activities and normal life.

Do not hesitate to contact us for free advice or second opinion.

With extensive consultation with spinal neurosurgeon Robert Saftic MD and patient coordinator, Mr. J.G.R. has decided to come to Croatia for minimally-invasive treatment called dorsal endoscopic rhizotomy, pioneered and invented  by Anthony Yeung from USA.

Patient has arrived to Croatia on 1st January 2012 with his wife. Our patient coordinator has spent time with the patient and his wife, guided them trough Zagreb and helped them in preparation for the surgery. Surgery was scheduled for 3rd January 2012 in our well known Vertebris International Spine Hospital. Bellow you can see images directly from the operating room:

Fingers crossed for good recovery and successful final outcome after recovery period!

10 days follow-up letter from Mr. J.G.R.

“In England we have a saying

LIFE BEGINS AT 40.   This has now been amended to

LIFE BEGINS WITH DR. SAFTIC.

Many thanks to all the team”

This patient is suffering from:

• Protruded disc L4-L5, which will be treated preventive with laser disc decompression (PLDD)
• Extruded disc L5-S1, which will be treated with selective endoscopic discectomy (SED)

The spine

The spine is made up of 24 individual bones called vertebrae, which are stacked on top of each other. Discs are the protective, circular pads of cartilage (connective tissue) that lie in between the vertebrae. The discs are responsible for cushioning the vertebrae when jumping or running.

The spinal cord is a collection of nerve fibres that are attached to the brain and are protected by the spine. Nerve fibres from the spinal cord pass between the vertebrae as they take and receive messages to and from different parts of the body.

A slipped disc

The discs are made from a tough, fibrous case, which contains a softer, gel-like substance. A slipped disc occurs when the outer part of the disc ruptures (splits), allowing the gel inside to bulge and protrude outwards between the vertebrae.

The damaged disc can put pressure on the whole spinal cord or on a single nerve fibre. This means that a slipped disc can cause pain both in the area of the protruding disc and in any part of the body that is controlled by the nerve that the disc is pressing on.

How common is a slipped disc?

Slipped discs are most common in people between the ages of 30 and 50. The condition affects twice as many men as women.
A slipped disc occurs most frequently in the lower back, but any disc can rupture, including those in the upper back and neck. Around one-third of adults in the UK have lower back pain, and a slipped disc is responsible in less than 1 in 20 cases.

Outlook

It can take around four to six weeks to recover from a slipped disc. In most cases, treatment involves a combination of physical therapy, such as exercise and massage, and medication to relieve the pain.

In severe cases, or if the pain continues for longer than six weeks, surgery may be considered. A number of different procedures can release the compressed nerve and remove part of the disc. The success rate for surgery on the lumber (lower) spine is around 80-90%.

Treatment for slipped disc

For slipped disc, depending on severity of the patient’s clinical picture, we advise:

• Micro-endoscopic spine surgery
• Endoscopic spine surgery

• First patient is male with multi-level degenerative disc disease and compression on neural structures that will undergo multi-level minimally-invasive endoscopic rhizotomy surgery.
• Second patient is male with foraminal stenosis at level T1 and this patient will undergo micro-endoscopic (METRx) decompression surgery.

We truly belive we will continue to successfully serve and treat patients from all over the world.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any questions.

A bulging disc in the neck or back should not be confused with a herniated disc. Although they may have similar symptoms a herniated disc happens when the inner material of the disc seeps through a crack in its outer shell.

A bulging disc is usually a clear sign that there are problems in the surrounding areas of the spine. The problems may be caused by increased pressure being placed on the spinal disc, or by the disc weakening from degeneration. A bulging disc in the neck or back can be one of the causes of spinal stenosis, sciatica, or a pinched nerve.

What Are the Symptoms of a Bulging Disc?

Most people who show signs of a bulging disc will feel pain in the area of the bulge. Numbness, tingling, and waves of pain felt along the nerve pathway into the arms or legs are also bulging disc symptoms that you may feel. Bulging disc symptoms will usually only be felt when they flare up from activity that puts pressure on a nearby nerve. Where the damaged disc is located will determine what other areas of the body are affected.

As you can see bulging disc in neck symptoms are quite similar to the symptoms of a bulging disc in the back. The only difference being that a bulging disc in the neck will affect the nerves that reach out into your arms, while a bulging disc in the lower back will affect the nerves that run down your legs.

Lumbar bulges (bulging discs in the lower back) are more common than bulging discs in the neck. 90% of patients with lumbar bulges will actually experience bulging disc symptoms.

 What Non-surgical Bulging Disc Treatment Options are Available to Me?

Conservative treatment of a bulging disc usually begins with rest and anti-inflammatory medicine. If your bulging disc does not improve, physical therapy and activity modification is usually the next step for bulging disc treatment.

Heat and cold is often added to a bulging disc treatment plan to help encourage healing. Cold is usually used for the first 48 – 72 hours to reduce the inflammation in the injured area. Heat would then be rotated in to encourage blood flow and healing to the affected area.

If your symptoms are severe and threaten to cause permanent damage to your spine or its surrounding structures, surgery may be required before conservative methods are attempted.

We use advanced diagnostic tools and procedures to develop a treatment program tailored to your specific condition. Several factors such as the location of your bulging disc, the severity of your symptoms, and how long you’ve been experiencing them will all be considered when developing your bulging disc treatment program.

When should I Consider Bulging Disc Surgery?

After 4-6 weeks of treatment have passed and you feel little to no relief from your symptoms, bulging disc surgery may be considered. Having a bulging disc operation, however, is a last resort and is rarely required.

If your bulging disc is causing numbness or muscle weakness that affects your walking, or you are having problems with bowel or bladder function, surgery for a bulging disc is usually considered a priority.

What Bulging Disc Surgery Options are Available to Me?

Open Back Surgery

Traditionally, bulging discs are treated with an open back procedure, meaning the surgeon makes a large incision into the skin and cuts muscle and surrounding tissue to gain access to the problematic disc. This traditional surgical option is invasive, requires overnight hospitalization, general anesthesia, and requires a lengthy recovery coupled with strong pain medication.

Endoscopic Surgery

Fortunately, you have a second option, endoscopic spine surgery. Thanks to the advancement of surgical technology, bulged disc surgery can be performed using endoscopic procedures, meaning the surgeon makes a small incision to insert special surgical tools. During an endoscopic bulging disc operation, the surgeon uses a tiny camera to visualize and gain access to your damaged disc. This minimally invasive new approach offers shorter recovery, easier rehabilitation, and much higher success rate than open back or neck surgery. A local anesthetic is all that is usually required for this bulging disc operation.

Endoscopic Discectomy

An endoscopic discectomy is performed to remove a portion of a damaged disc that is causing pain and other symptoms. Because of how the surgery is performed there is no need to remove bone, cause muscle damage, or make large incisions in the skin. With the use of x-ray imaging and video magnification we are able to guide an endoscopic probe into the damaged disc space and use special tools to remove the debris.

Endoscopic Foraminotomy

An endoscopic foraminotomy is performed to relieve pressure caused by other conditions such as bone spurs, disc bulges, disc herniations, scar tissue, or excessive ligament growth. This is a minimally invasive procedure that requires little recovery time allowing our patients to return to their normal daily activities quicker.

Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression

PLDD is a minimally invasive laser treatment performed on an outpatient basis using only local anesthesia. During the procedure, a laser beam vaporizes a tiny portion of the disc, decompressing it. Patients typically get off the table and go home. There is no hospital stay, no long recovery period, and PLDD costs many thousands of dollars less than surgery.

Causes of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome

Some of the most common causes of failed open back surgery are:

• Residual foraminal stenosis due to inadequate exploration of the nerve root during open back surgery.
• Residual spinal stenosis due to failure to appreciate the spinal anatomy during surgery.
• Spinal instability due to removal of too much of the central disc or removal of too many supporting ligaments.

What is Failed Back Surgery Syndrome?

Following open spine surgery, whether it is a fusion, a discectomy or a laminectomy, patients can continue to experience chronic pain in the back and or the arms or legs. When these symptoms are the result of a previous open or fusion spine they are termed by surgeons and the medical community to be Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS).

Most open back surgeries include one form of fusion. The true test of whether an open back surgery is successful is the actual reduction of pain.

For single level fusions, the percentage of patients obtaining significant pain relief is 40–80 percent, while with three levels, this drops to approximately 15 percent.

Treatment of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) patients would likely benefit from:

• Micro-endoscopic decompression
• Endoscopic foraminotomy
• Endoscopic discectomy
• Endoscopic rhizotomy