Lumbar Puncture Cost in India

The cost of Lumbar Puncture in India may differ from one medical facility to the other. The top hospitals for Lumbar Puncture in India covers all the expenses related to the pre-surgery investigations of the candidate. The Lumbar Puncture cost in India includes the cost of anesthesia, medicines, hospitalization and the surgeon's fee. A prolonged hospital stay due to delayed recovery, new diagnosis and complications after surgery may increase the cost of Lumbar Puncture in India.

Many hospitals in India perform Lumbar Puncture. The following are some of the most renowned hospitals for Lumbar Puncture in India:

1. Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj
2. Max Super Specialty Hospital, Vaishali
3. Indian Spinal Injuries Centre
4. Manipal Hospital Dwarka

After discharge from the hospital, the patient has to stay for another 7 days in the country for complete recovery. This period is important to conduct all the follow-up tests to ensure that the surgery was successful and the patient can go back to the home country.

Apart from the Lumbar Puncture cost, there are a few other daily charges that the patient may have to pay. These are the charges for daily meals and accommodation outside the hospital. The per day extra expenses in India per person are about USD 50 per person.

There are many cities that offer Lumbar Puncture in India, including the following:

• Chennai
• Noida
• Gurugram
• Hyderabad
• Bangalore
• New Delhi
• Mumbai

It is possible for patients to opt for video telemedicine consultation before they come for Lumbar Puncture in India. Some of the surgeons offering this service include the following

The average duration of stay at the hospital after Lumbar Puncture is about 1 days for proper care and monitoring. During the recovery, the patient is carefully monitored and control tests are performed to see that everything is okay. If required, physiotherapy sessions are also planned during recovery in hospital.

The average rating for Lumbar Puncture hospitals in India is 3.9. This rating is automatically calculated on the basis of several parameters such as the infrastructure of the hospital, quality of services, nursing support and other services.

There are more than 4 hospitals that offer Lumbar Puncture in India. The above mentioned hospitals have the required infrastructure and a dedicated unit where patients can be treated. These hospitals comply with all the rules and regulations as dictated by the regulatory bodies and medical association in India

Some of the renowned medical specialists for Lumbar Puncture in India are:

1. Dr. S K Rajan

Lumber puncture also known as a spinal tap is commonly performed as a diagnostic procedure to find out certain health conditions. In a spinal tap, a needle is inserted in the lumber region, to be precise in between the space of two lumber bones. The doctor removes a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from there. This cerebrospinal fluid surrounds the brain and spinal cord and is responsible to protect them from any kind of injury or damage. A Lumber Puncture procedure can help in the diagnosis of infections and serious conditions like meningitis, disorders of the nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, cancers of the spinal cord and brain, bleeding, and Guillain-Barre syndrome. In certain cases, a lumbar puncture may also be used to inject chemotherapy drugs and anesthetic medicines into the cerebrospinal fluid.

Lumbar puncture is generally a safe procedure with no minimal side effects. Very rarely there are any serious side effects associated with lumbar punctures. The most commonly associated side effects of lumbar puncture include headaches which can carry on for weeks. Usually, your doctor/surgeon will prescribe painkillers to manage the headaches. 

Lumbar puncture is generally considered to be a safe procedure with minimal to no side effects and risks. However, some of the complications that may occur in rare cases include:

• Headaches- There are chances of fluid leakage in the nearby tissues after a lumbar puncture procedure. Therefore, a likelihood of more than 25% of patients developing headaches for a few weeks post-procedure. It is common for the headache to begin several hours to two days after the procedure and to include nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. The headaches typically start while standing or sitting and go away when you lie down. Headaches following lumbar puncture can last anywhere from a few hours to up to a week.
• Back pain and discomfort- Following the procedure, your lower back may be painful or tender. Your legs' backs might start to hurt as well.
• Bleeding- Bleeding could happen close to the puncture or, very rarely, in the epidural space.
• Brainstem herniation- After a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is taken, compression of the brainstem may occur from increased pressure within the skull brought on by a brain tumor or other space-occupying lesion. Before performing a lumbar puncture, it is common to perform a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to check for any indication of a space-occupying lesion that could increase intracranial pressure.

Before you undergo a Lumbar Puncture procedure, you can expect your physician to guide you with certain dos and don’ts of the procedure. Your doctor will ask about the following:

• If you are on antibiotics: In case of an active infection or fever, the procedure is rescheduled. The procedure will only be performed when the antibiotics are flushed from your system.
• If you are allergic to any medicines or local anesthetics
• Is there any chance of an active pregnancy
• You are taking any kind of blood thinners or are you on an anticoagulant therapy

Other than the above-mentioned information, the doctor will advise you on the following:

• Clothing: You will have to change into the hospital gown, remove any jewelry and piercings, and avoid wearing any restrictive clothes.
• Food and Fluids: You will be recommended to increase the intake of fluids 1-2 days prior to the procedure. However, you will be asked not to eat or drink anything at least 3-4 hours prior to the procedure unless advised otherwise.
• Medications: Except when told to hold certain medications, such as blood thinners, all patients may continue to take their prescribed medications as directed.
• Traveling: You must have someone to accompany you to the hospital and to take you home after the procedure because you will be advised to avoid driving for at least 24 hours after the procedure.

The lumbar procedure is relatively a safe procedure with high success rates. The approximate success rate of a Lumbar puncture is 80% - 85%.