Spine Treatment in Germany

Spine treatment in Germany is a current request among foreign patients. The spine is the basis of the human musculoskeletal system, which is susceptible to various diseases and injuries. They can lead to a decrease in quality of life, limitation of movements, chronic pain, and disability. According to WHO, over 80% of people have spinal problems of varying severity. Therefore, it is important to promptly seek qualified medical help.

Spine treatment in Germany means a high level of diagnostics, conservative and surgical treatment, rehabilitation and prevention. The most effective and safe methods of therapy are used here, which allow you to restore spinal function, eliminate pain and prevent complications.

German clinics are recognized as one of the best for the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The main advantages include:

1. High level of German surgeons, many of whom are world experts in the field of neurosurgery, orthopedics and traumatology. They develop technologies that have become the “gold standard” for spine treatment in the world.
2. Spinal surgeries in Germany are performed using microsurgical, endoscopic, and robotic techniques using microscopes and surgical microinstruments.
3. A wide range of minimally invasive therapy methods are available in German clinics. For example, at the Nordwest Clinic in Frankfurt am Main, radio wave denervation of vertebral joints and percutaneous laser treatment of intervertebral discs are performed. This allows you to get rid of the disease without problems in many cases.
4. Spinal surgery in Germany allows you to eliminate pain, restore the shape and height of the spine, and improve its function. Here they do:

dorsal operations – through posterior access to the spinal column;
ventrodorsal operations – through anterior and posterior approaches to the spine.

5. Leading German clinics develop and use effective and safe drugs that are not yet available in other countries. Patients have the opportunity to take medications home after the course of therapy.

According to consolidated data from German clinics, over 80% of patients who underwent back treatment in Germany were able to completely get rid of severe spinal diseases.

Back diseases are recognized as the No. 1 disease in developed countries. The main reasons for the development of pathologies include:

• inactive lifestyle;
• obesity;
• strong physical activity;
• pathology of posture;
• flat feet;
• traumatic back injuries.

Many pathologies develop due to age-related changes in bones and blood supply to tissues. Heredity plays a significant role: if there are genetic disorders in the family history, there is a high probability of predisposition to the development of pathologies.

Doctors at the Schon Clinic in Munich recommend contacting a specialist if you have the following symptoms:

• back pain that causes limited mobility;
• dizziness with darkening of the eyes and short-term loss of consciousness;
• with muscle spasms and shooting pains when changing body position or bending;
• with numbness and tingling in various parts of the body;
• if there is a violation of movement coordination;
• asymmetry of the sides of the body.

German clinics successfully treat all pathologies: neurodegenerative diseases, tumors and spinal injuries, protrusion and herniated intervertebral discs.

Back examinations in German clinics are highly accurate and informative and meet international standards. German specialists use advanced video diagnostic techniques. This allows:

• determine the presence and degree of spinal deformity;
• make an accurate diagnosis;
• draw up the most correct treatment regimen, which increases the patient’s chances of a full recovery.

At the University Hospital Essen, doctors prescribe:

1. Digital X-ray examination (EOS). This technique provides 3D visualization of the spinal column. The doctor has the opportunity to study the structures of bone tissue, joints, ligaments, and intervertebral discs.
2. CT, MRI of the spine using the latest generation equipment. Layer-by-layer images in three planes provide a complete image of soft tissues, discs, vessels, and nerves. MRI is the most informative method for detecting syringomyelia, a pathology of the central nervous system in which cavities form in the spinal cord.
3. Ultrasound with Doppler (USDG). Allows you to assess the state of blood flow in the vessels of the spinal cord and identify diseases of the endocrine glands.
4. Scintigraphy. Using radioactive isotopes, it determines the presence and spread of tumor, inflammatory and metabolic disorders in the bones of the spine.
5. Electromyography (EMG). Detects damage to the spinal cord nerves.
6. Densitometry. Determines bone density for diagnosing osteoporosis.
7. Lumbar puncture. Prescribed for suspected inflammatory diseases of the spinal cord membranes.

Patients also undergo laboratory tests: general blood test, biochemical blood test, general urinalysis.

Spinal surgery is one of the priority areas of medicine in Germany. German surgeons prefer minimally invasive operations that allow:

• eliminate the cause of the pathology;
• maintain spine mobility;
• minimize the risk of complications and side effects;
• patients recover quickly.

Hospitals in Germany are equipped with high-tech operating equipment, thanks to which surgeons are able to operate using microinvasive techniques. In Germany, unique technologies for the treatment of spinal diseases are widely used, which are not always available in the patient’s homeland. For example, surgeons at the Asklepios Clinic in Hamburg use:

1. Robotic and navigation systems Spine Assist and Tivato Zeiss. These are settings that increase the effectiveness of intervention and reduce the risk of medical errors. Often used in scoliosis surgery, removal of spina bifida, malignant and benign neoplasms.
2. Laser surgical units. With their help, doctors perform:

• laser vaporization of the disc – in the treatment of Schmorl’s hernia;
• cold plasma nucleoplasty for minor disc herniation;
• Radiofrequency disc ablation is the most preferred technology for treating tumors in the spinal canal.

3. SpinalFusion – simultaneous stabilization of several vertebrae. Titanium supports are used, which are inserted into adjacent healthy vertebrae. The technology allows patients to fully maintain spinal mobility and recover within 4 days.
4. Endoscopic techniques. Allows intervention through small punctures in the skin. This reduces trauma to organs and tissues, blood loss, pain and rehabilitation time.

The main advantages of spine surgery in Germany are the high technology of operations and the many years of practical experience of neurosurgeons.

In German hospitals, a wide arsenal of advanced minimally invasive techniques is used for spinal surgeries:

1. Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Interventions target vertebral compression fractures caused by osteoporosis. This involves injecting bone cement, which hardens and strengthens the bone. Effective for lesions of the vertebrae in the lumbar and coccygeal region.
2. Spinal laminectomy (decompression). Indicated for narrowing of the spinal canal. The surgeon relieves pressure on the nerves by excising the damaged bone walls of the vertebrae. If necessary, decompression is performed followed by implantation of an intervertebral disc. To relieve compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots in the lumbar region, lumbar decompression with fusion is performed.
3. Laminotomy. The procedure involves removing part of the vertebra above the spinal cord. Unlike a laminectomy, the doctor removes less of the vertebral plate.
4. Microdiscectomy. Removal of herniated intervertebral discs. Often combined with laminectomy in the thoracic region. Various intervention methods may be used:

• microsurgical discectomy – performed through a minimal incision from the back using operating microscopes;
• endoscopic discectomy – involves an incision of up to 2 cm, into which the surgeon inserts an endoscope and uses it to monitor the progress of the procedure on a monitor.

5. Foraminotomy. Performed when the spinal nerves are pinched. During an intervention where the nerve root exits the spinal canal, the doctor enlarges the bony opening to relieve pressure on the nerve.
6. Spiral nucleotomy. The procedure is performed when the nerve is compressed. The surgeon removes part of the damaged intervertebral disc using a very thin needle under X-ray guidance.
7. Arthrodesis (spondylodesis). It involves the fusion of two or more vertebrae using bone grafts or special devices, which the doctor fixes with screws. The operation is indicated for:

• injuries and fractures of the spine;
• intervertebral hernias;
• viral and bacterial diseases of the spine;
• degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine, including the cervical spine: arthrosis, spondylosis, advanced form of osteochondrosis.

8. Corporectomy with spinal fusion is a complex surgical intervention on the spine. The goal is to remove the vertebral body and intervertebral disc, which compress the spinal cord and cause pain. Indicated for severe forms of spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, congenital and acquired scoliosis.
9. Implantation of artificial intervertebral discs. This is an alternative option for arthrodesis in case of significant damage to the vertebral discs. During the procedure, the surgeon replaces the intervertebral disc with a synthetic implant, which restores mobility between the vertebrae.

According to hospital aggregate data, the success rate of spine surgery in Germany exceeds 98%.

If there is no need for emergency surgical intervention associated with the threat of motor disorders (for example, paralysis), German doctors can offer conservative treatment methods.

For the treatment of the spine in Germany, many developments of metabolic therapy are available using effective medications, which have no analogues in other countries. In 85% of cases, doctors manage to achieve good results without surgery.

At the Alfred Krupp Clinic in Essen, patients are prescribed:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – to effectively eliminate inflammation and swelling, restore bone tissue;
• steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (corticosteroids) – to reduce pain caused by pinched nerve roots;
• bisphosphonates – to prevent bone destruction during osteoporosis, restore calcium levels, cleanse the body of excess salts;
• muscle relaxants – to reduce muscle spasm caused by intervertebral hernia;
• diuretics (diuretics) – to remove excess water and salts for back pain caused by edema, high blood pressure;
• specific antiviral and antibacterial drugs – in case of identified infection that causes inflammation and affects the structures of the spine.

In German clinics, intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IET) is widely used for degenerative changes in intervertebral discs. This is a minimally invasive treatment method based on the introduction of a catheter with a heating element into the affected disc under X-ray control.

The cost of back treatment in German hospitals includes many factors:

• number of diagnostic studies;
• nature of the disease;
• the chosen technique and volume of intervention;
• qualification level of the doctor;
• pricing policy of a particular clinic.

Estimated prices for spine treatment in Germany:

• hernia removal – from $11,000;
• surgery for spinal stenosis – $18,500;
• discectomy – from $27,000;
• laminectomy – from $18,000;
• scoliosis surgery – $29,700;
• vertebroplasty – from $1200.

To find out more about the prices for spine treatment in Germany, just call the consultant doctors of Experts Medical.

They will provide complete information on this topic and suggest the most advantageous offers, taking into account the nature of the disease.

German hospitals are recognized as one of the world’s leading hospitals for the treatment of any spinal pathology. Doctors manage to completely rid the patient of a complex disease, even in cases where treatment was ineffective in his homeland. Experts Medical coordinators monitored hospitals, studied patient reviews, and based on this they identified the most successful clinics in Germany for spine treatment:

1. Helios Clinic Berlin-Buch. The best spinal microsurgery specialists practice here. The hospital has its own donor bone bank and one of the best rehabilitation centers in the country. Conservative treatment of degenerative pathologies of the spine is carried out using injections around the damaged area under CT guidance.
2. University Hospital in Cologne. Operations are performed using the BrainLab navigation system and the latest generation of Haag-Streit surgical microscopes. The clinic performs epidural stimulation of the spinal cord, peripheral nerves, spinal ganglion, occipital nerve for pain syndromes, stereotactic diagnostic punctures and biopsies.
3. Charite Clinic in Berlin. One of the world’s leading hospitals, where regenerative therapy methods are available for the treatment of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Professor Peter Vaikoczy, a leading specialist in spine surgery in Germany, operates here.
4. University Hospital in Dusseldorf. Specializes in the treatment of congenital and acquired spinal diseases in adults and children. Operations are performed using intraoperative CT and a navigation system. The hospital operates a 24/7 program for providing emergency care for herniated discs, “Fast Track”.
5. University Hospital Freiburg. One of the best clinics for robotic spine surgery in Germany. Doctors perform microsurgical operations for degenerative changes in the vertebrae through an access with a diameter of 1-3 cm under computer control. Vertebroplasty, disc replacement with implants, and decompression of the spinal canal and nerves are performed using a minimally invasive method.

On the Experts Medical website you can read patient reviews about spine treatment in Germany. More information will be provided by the company’s coordinating doctors.

In order not to waste time and quickly get medical help from the best German specialists, it is better to immediately call the coordinating doctors of Experts Medical. As soon as possible they will help:

• choose the best clinic and doctor for back treatment in Germany, with whom you can organize an online consultation;
• prepare medical documents;
• book tickets and hotel room;
• will provide transfer.

The Experts Medical team will be in touch 24/7 with the patient at all stages of spine treatment in Germany, so it will take place in a comfortable and safe environment.