Department of Spine Surgery - Introduction

The spine unit of Ganga Hospital is a “tertiary referral centre” for all spinal problems and is also an accomplished centre for training in spine surgery.  In 2007, the unit handled 8324 new out-patients, 992 in-patients and 835 spine surgeries.
Two consultants Dr S Rajasekaran and Dr Ajoy Prasad Shetty, a Senior Registrar and five spine fellows manage the busy clinical load.

Dr S Rajasekaran and Dr Ajoy Prasad Shetty

Spine clinics are held four times a week by the consultants and spine consultations are available six days a week by senior spine fellows. The clinic is backed by support nursing staff, spine physiotherapists and an in-house orthotics and prosthetic unit. The availability of multi-slice CT and 1.5 Tesla MRI (Siemens, Germany) in house allow for all required investigations to be on the same day of consultation without long waiting periods.

Surgeries are routinely performed for disc problems of the neck and low back, infections of the spine including tuberculosis, spinal injuries and correction of progressive spinal deformities. Two dedicated “state of the art” spine operating theatres each equipped with ISO-C 3D computer navigation system allows for complex surgeries to be performed with good results and enhanced safety for the patient. The Unit is also recognized as the Centre for Research and Training for spine navigation surgery for the Asia Pacific region for BrainLAB, Germany.

Rehabilitation forms an integral part of spine care. The physiotherapy and rehabilitation section is equipped with the necessary techniques to aid patients with chronic back pain and rehabilitate patients who have undergone surgery.
The unit also concentrates on both clinical and basic science research. The unit has won many international accolades and prestigious awards in the field of spine research including the ISSLS Spine Research award (2004), Eurospine research award (2007).