Awareness about spine surgeries is still very low and early intervention can cure functional disabilities and difficulties, a surgeon from Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, said last week.

According to S. Vidyadhara, the chairman and head of spine surgery at Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road, Bengaluru, patients with scoliosis, a condition where the spine has an abnormal curve, often come to doctors at an advanced stage.

Vidyadhara was in Calcutta last week to raise awareness about spine surgeries.

“At a very early stage, scoliosis can be prevented from progression by bracing and exercises. Initially it is painless, but people tend to visit a doctor when it starts causing problems in the heart and lungs. Then it becomes a high-risk case,” said Vidyadhara.

He said that disc degeneration, a condition where the intervertebral discs suffer wear and tear and lose their cushioning ability, is aided by smoking or the consumption of tobacco in any form.

“Desk jobs also add to the problem. This problem is most common in people between 20 and 40 years,” he said.

“For those above 60, all the tissues in the body become weak and the bones become wobbly. These need to be fixed,” said Vidyadhara.

Osteoporosis, which weakens the bones and makes them fragile, is a significant health problem for older adults.

Spine surgeries are also required in people suffering from cancer.

Vidyadhara said that the earliest spread of cancer from an organ is to the spine. “The spine is the commonest site of metastatic cancer,” he said.

Vidyadhara pointed out that the introduction of robotic surgeries has made spine surgeries more precise and recovery faster.

“In robotic surgeries, there is less tissue trauma and less pain compared to conventional surgeries. The surgeries are more precise and the recoveries faster,” he added.