Far Lateral Approach Treatment in India

Amit Malhotra, a 42-year-old software architect...

Amit Malhotra, a 42-year-old software architect and father of two, had always been active. For over a year, he endured a relentless, sharp pain that radiated from the back of his head down his neck and into his right shoulder. It was worse when he turned his head to check his blind spot while driving. Conservative treatments, physical therapy, medications, nerve blocks, provided only fleeting relief. An MRI revealed a large, calcified disc fragment compressing his C2 nerve root, high in his cervical spine. His neurosurgeon, Dr. Sharma, explained that the standard posterior approach wouldn't safely reach this particular fragment. He recommended a Far Lateral Approach, a more technically demanding procedure that would allow access from the side of the spine to remove the fragment without manipulating the spinal cord. Amit was terrified; surgery near the brainstem sounded perilous. The procedure lasted five hours. Waking up, his first sensation was the absence of that searing nerve pain. Recovery in the hospital was challenging, with neck stiffness and careful movement, but the surgical pain was manageable. At his six-week follow-up, Amit was back to working from home and playing gently with his children. The emotional relief was profound. He described the journey as "trading a constant, invisible torment for a manageable, healing discomfort." He felt he had regained control of his life.