The traumatologist and member of Top Doctors, Dr. Jaume Soler Subirats, coordinates a team of great experts and technicians in the Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit. This unit is the result of the enthusiasm that many specialists, such as Dr. Soler Subirats, have put into the treatment of disc pathology, which is sometimes confusing to diagnose. This area is inspired by the pioneering unit in Europe (EUNI) directed by Dr. Alberto Alexandre in Italy, the Seville unit of Drs. Salgado and Albarreal and that of Dr. Marín in Madrid.
The birth of the percutaneous disc herniation treatment unit arose from the need to solve the problems derived from the postoperative period and the risks involved in conventional surgery, such as infections or nerve lesions. It is estimated that 80% of the population is affected by back problems due to bad posture, strenuous work or injuries. In 20% of the cases these affections derive in disc herniation.
The pathology of disc herniation is common in young or middle-aged people and is caused by the exit of part of the nucleus of the intravertebral disc backwards, irritating and compressing one of the nerve roots that carry the strength and sensitivity to the limb and vertebral area.
From the Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit we consider it essential to complement different methods for the treatment of disc herniation such as Orthokine therapy, ozone therapy, nucleopasty or coblation-assisted microdiscectomy (CAM) as alternative techniques to classic microscopic surgery.
The innovative Orhokine therapy allows a natural and non-aggressive treatment of ostearthritis with the application of the protective proteins Interleukin-1 (IL-1 Ra). This protein is extracted from the patient’s own blood and, combined with other components, Orthokine conditioned serum is obtained, which will have an anti-inflammatory, pain-reducing and cartilage-protective effect.
In addition, Orthokine serum will help to slow down the ongoing process of cartilage destruction in our joints and spine. Messenger proteins such as IL-1 inform the cells that there is an injury or infection that may become chronic as in the case of osteoarthritis and chronic back pain.
Regarding ozone therapy, medical ozone is injected into the herniated disc and acts on the nerve root and the nucleus pulposus of the disc, on which it causes a dehydrating action that reduces its volume. In addition, ozone immediately produces in the ganglion and nerve root a series of biochemical reactions that neutralize the excessive formation of acid radicals involved in the production of inflammation and pain. This technique is applied under local anesthesia and sedation controlled by the anesthesiologist and with X-ray control. It is recommended for patients of any age who are unwilling or unable to undergo the risk of surgery. Experts consider it the technique of choice for the future because of the minimal risks involved, in addition to offering an 80% success rate for back pain caused by disc herniation.