Announcement

Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet, Chennai announced the successful introduction of endoscopic spinal fusion, marking the first‑of‑its‑kind minimally invasive spine procedure offered in the city.

Procedure Details

The endoscopic fusion is performed through a working channel and a high‑definition camera inserted via an incision of approximately 8 mm. The surgeon decompresses the affected nerves, prepares the disc space, and places an interbody implant with fixation while continuously visualising the operative field, aiming to preserve surrounding muscle, bone, and ligaments. This contrasts with traditional open spine surgery, which requires larger incisions and extensive muscle dissection, and with standard minimally invasive surgery (MIS), which typically uses an incision around 20 mm.

Clinical Benefits

In appropriately selected patients, the technique is intended to reduce tissue damage, lower intra‑operative blood loss, diminish postoperative pain, enable earlier ambulation, and shorten hospital stay. The hospital cites benefits such as a smaller wound, less muscle injury, lower blood loss (reported as less than 50 ml in a recent case), earlier walking (within two hours post‑operation), and discharge within two days.

Indications and Limitations

The procedure is suited for degenerative lumbar conditions including disc disease, spinal stenosis, low‑grade instability, persistent nerve‑root compression after adequate conservative care, and revision or redo spine surgery where scar tissue makes open re‑operation riskier. It is also recommended for selected elderly patients for whom a long open fusion would pose a heavier surgical burden. The technique is not appropriate for high‑grade slips, certain complex deformities, or cases requiring wide open reconstruction.

Case Illustrations

  • A 56‑year‑old woman with prior L4–L5 open surgery developed problems at L3–L4 and L4–L5. Using the endoscopic approach, the surgical team avoided scarred tissue, achieved blood loss of less than 50 ml, enabled the patient to walk within two hours, and discharged her after two days.
  • An elderly patient with severe leg pain from a disc problem was treated endoscopically, avoiding a major open operation that would have required long‑segment fusion; the patient recovered quickly and returned to normal activity sooner than expected.

Expert Commentary

Dr Keerthivasan P, Senior Consultant Spine and Orthopaedic Surgeon, explained that endoscopic procedures can also address disc herniation and nerve compression, sometimes avoiding extensive fusion by preserving natural spinal stability, though suitability is decided after clinical evaluation, imaging, and overall health assessment.

Dr Balamurali, Head of Department – Spine and Neurosurgery, emphasized that the advancement strengthens the hospital’s comprehensive spine care programme, highlighting the importance of patient selection, precision planning, and multidisciplinary coordination.

Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Co‑Founder and Executive Director of Kauvery Hospitals, stated that the hospital’s focus is to combine clinical expertise with advanced technology to deliver effective treatment while reducing the overall surgical burden, and that the introduction of endoscopic fusion reflects its commitment to offering less invasive options wherever appropriate.

Conclusion

The launch of endoscopic spinal fusion expands Kauvery Hospital’s treatment spectrum, offering a minimally invasive alternative for selected lumbar degenerative and revision cases, with reported reductions in incision size, blood loss, postoperative pain, and hospital stay, thereby enhancing patient recovery pathways.