Ms. Okatswa Underwent Spinal Fusion Surgery in India

Living with lower back pain is quite challenging & difficult for an individual, especially when performing day-to-day activities. Sometimes it is not so serious and can often get better on its own. But in some cases, especially in people aged above 40, pain exaggerates, and the body tries to tell them that something is wrong with their back. The same happened to one of our dearest patients- Dimakatso Okatswa. Dima is 54 years old and has been experiencing lower back pain for the past 4 years. She tried to manage it; however, soon, the lower back pain started to radiate down to the right limb upto her foot. Years passed, and the pain progressively worsened. She started exploring options for the best treatment in different countries since the waiting list for treatment was too long in Botswana, and she could not bear the pain any longer. She ended up contacting MediGence during her search online for institutions that could assist in organizing her medical trip abroad. As soon as we received her case, team MediGence got actively involved and began to help her with the best possible assessment and treatment. After a thorough examination of the clinical history and medical summary, it was concluded that the patient requires a TLIF procedure. She was presented with multiple options from India to choose from and she chose to go ahead with Dr. S.K. Rajan at Artemis Hospital, Gurugram.

A minimally invasive procedure is considered one of the safer spinal treatments. India is a hub of world-class hospitals and top-notch spine surgeons, and spine treatment in India is quite affordable too. Her diagnosis reported that she was suffering from:

Lumbar hypolordosis due to muscle spasms
Lumbar spondylosis
Transitional S1 vertebra with a right pseudoarthrosis- type 2a

Team MediGence always tries to help the patients in the best possible way we can! We provided her with all the treatment-related information, length of stay, budget, and every relevant prerequisite to her, considering the balance of transparency for the patient, in order to avoid any future misunderstanding or miscommunication. Also, we made all the logistics arrangements, consultations, hospital coordination, doctor appointments, and everything that was needed. On 10th April 2022, Dimakatso, along with her friend, travelled to India from her home country (Botswana). Every arrangement with respect to appointment and accommodation was already in place for her, and our team received them at the Airport for further proceedings.

After checking in to the hotel, our dedicated case-assigned manager took her to the hospital, and she was thoroughly examined by the doctor. Later, she got admitted, and her surgery preparations started. She was really impressed with the amenities and safety measures, which were appropriately and preventively implemented during her treatment stay in the hospital. Dima stayed for 3 days in the hospital and 10 days in the country, during which she received proper care, assistance, and follow-up consultations. Artemis Hospital is quite prominent because of its standard of care and highly skilled & experienced specialists. Their compassionate and caring approach to providing unmatched care is another aspect that made the patient's experience worthy of appreciation.

Dima feels happy with the services, assistance, imaginable outcome, and follow-up care provided by Dr. SK Rajan and his team. Dima enjoyed her time in India, along with the services facilitated by MediGence, during her stay.

Pre-Treatment & Process

The patient received a comprehensive health examination before the surgery. The doctor and his team were all set with their formalities & facilities to perform the minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery, called Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF), which is a spinal fusion procedure that fuses the front and back sections of the spine through a posterior approach. But it is a fact that every surgery requires a pre-operative evaluation of the patientâ€™s condition. This in-depth review helps the medical professionals to identify physical conditions (existing and unknown) that could cause surgical complications (eg, cardiac or breathing difficulties). Her complete health check-up entailed a variety of tests like MRI, CT Scan, Blood test, BUN, ABG, and other diagnostic tests. She was found to be eligible for the surgery, and she was wheeled into the operating room where her vital signs were properly checked, anaesthesia was given, and finally, the doctor operated on her for about 2 hours and 40 minutes, and the operation was quite a success.

Post Treatment

Following surgery, she was taken to the recovery area and was kept under observation. The medical staff continued to monitor her pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and other signs. Post-operative pain was suitably managed, and later, she was moved to the hospital's private inpatient room. After three days, she was discharged from the hospital with some written instructions to follow. The doctor and medical staff made sure that she was handheld with every required suggestion, suggestion, and scheduled a follow-up consultation. During all this, MediGence was standing with the patient at every stepâ€¦ and we will continue to do so as Our Patient is our Priority! Right from your sufferings to your improved quality of life- MediGence never leaves your hand!