Microdiscectomy & Micro-endoscopic Decompression
Targeted decompression of a compressed nerve through a small working corridor, preserving surrounding muscle wherever possible.
Conditions & procedures
Spine treatments
From physiotherapy to complex reconstruction. Every plan starts with an accurate diagnosis, and surgery is offered only when it will genuinely help.
How Dr. Sharma decides
Diagnosis first, surgery only when it helps
- ConsultationYour symptoms, an examination, and how much the problem limits daily life.
- Imaging reviewMRI, X-ray or CT matched carefully with the symptoms, not read on its own.
- Non-surgical firstMedicines, physiotherapy and selected injections wherever they can work.
- Surgery if neededThe least invasive operation that fully solves the problem.
Smaller corridors, same clinical goal
Minimally invasive & endoscopic procedures
Minimally invasive spine surgery is not one operation. It is a family of approaches that use tubular retractors, microscopes, endoscopes and image guidance to reach the problem while reducing unnecessary disruption of healthy tissue. The operation still has to solve the same underlying issue: free a compressed nerve, remove a problematic disc fragment, widen a narrowed canal, correct instability or create a fusion when genuinely required.
The appropriate technique depends on the diagnosis, spinal level, anatomy, degree of compression or instability, bone quality and prior surgery. A smaller incision is useful only when it allows the surgeon to complete the necessary treatment safely and completely.
Keyhole & Stitchless Spine Interventions
Small-incision approaches selected for suitable disc, nerve-compression and decompression procedures.
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Interbody Fusion (MIS-TLIF / LLIF)
Fusion techniques designed to restore stability while limiting muscle stripping and surgical exposure.
Endoscopic & Computer Navigation Spine Surgery
Endoscopic visualization and image-guided navigation used when they improve access, precision or implant placement.
What patients commonly want to know
- Many selected procedures allow early mobilisation and discharge within roughly 24-48 hours, but recovery varies by operation and patient.
- Microdiscectomy and decompression focus on relieving nerve pressure; fusion procedures additionally address instability.
- Endoscopic or navigation technology is chosen for clinical usefulness, not simply because it is newer.
- Not every spine condition is suitable for a keyhole approach; complex deformity, severe instability or revision anatomy may require a wider exposure.
From Dr. Sharma's practice
Enlarge image: Micro-endoscopic discectomy: the disc is reached through a narrow tube (illustration).
Enlarge image: X-rays after an L4-5 lumbar fusion with screws and rods.Treat the person, not the MRI alone
Common & complex lumbar disorders
Low-back conditions are extremely common, and many MRI changes are also seen in people who have little or no pain. Treatment therefore begins by matching symptoms and examination findings with imaging, rather than operating on a scan. Activity modification, structured physiotherapy, medicines and selected injections may be used first when there is no urgent neurological concern.
Surgery becomes more relevant when disabling leg symptoms persist despite appropriate conservative care, when instability or deformity is mechanically significant, or when progressive weakness, bladder/bowel dysfunction or other neurological warning signs make delay unsafe.
Slipped Disc & Sciatica Nerve Decompression
Care ranges from medicines and physiotherapy to targeted decompression when persistent nerve compression causes disabling symptoms.
Lumbar Canal Stenosis (Spinal Stenosis)
Narrowing around the nerves can cause leg pain, heaviness or reduced walking tolerance and is treated according to severity and function.
Spondylolisthesis & Spinal Instability
When one vertebra slips relative to another, treatment depends on symptoms, nerve compression, instability and response to conservative care.
Osteoporotic Spine Fractures
Kyphoplasty & Vertebroplasty
Fragility fractures need assessment of pain, collapse, alignment, nerve status and underlying bone health.
Typical goals of treatment
- Relieve pressure on an affected lumbar nerve when symptoms and imaging clearly match.
- Preserve movement where possible and add fusion only when stability needs to be restored.
- Protect mobility and independence in older adults while also treating osteoporosis where present.
- Use the least invasive operation that adequately addresses the actual pathology.
From Dr. Sharma's practice
Enlarge image: X-rays after a multilevel lumbar spine fusion.
Enlarge image: Vertebroplasty: cement stabilising a fractured lumbar vertebra (post-op X-ray).Nerve-root symptoms and spinal-cord symptoms are not the same
Cervical spine (neck) interventions
A compressed cervical nerve root usually produces pain, tingling, numbness or weakness in a particular arm distribution. Cervical myelopathy involves the spinal cord itself and may instead show up as clumsy hands, difficulty with buttons or handwriting, imbalance, heaviness in the legs or a change in walking pattern.
Treatment is matched to the structure causing compression and the neurological risk. Some nerve-root problems improve without surgery; progressive spinal-cord compression requires a different level of urgency because established neurological loss may not always fully reverse.
Cervical Spondylosis & Radiculopathy
Disc and joint degeneration can irritate a nerve and produce neck-to-arm pain, tingling, numbness or weakness.
Cervical Myelopathy (Spinal Cord Compression)
Cord compression may affect hand dexterity, balance and walking and needs timely specialist assessment.
Anterior & Posterior Cervical Fusion
Fusion can decompress neural structures and stabilize selected levels when movement or alignment is unsafe.
Artificial Disc Replacement (CDR)
Motion-preserving disc replacement can be considered in appropriately selected cervical disc disease.
Procedure selection considers
- Whether compression is mainly from the front, back or multiple levels.
- Spinal alignment, instability and the number of affected levels.
- Whether preserving motion with disc replacement is appropriate.
- Existing neurological deficits, general health and bone quality.
From Dr. Sharma's practice
Enlarge image: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), single level, stand-alone cage.
Enlarge image: ACDF with a cage and plate.
Enlarge image: Multilevel ACDF with stand-alone cages.
Enlarge image: Anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion.
Enlarge image: Posterior cervical fusion with screws and rods.
Enlarge image: Combined anterior and posterior cervical fusion.
Enlarge image: Cervical disc replacement: an artificial disc that keeps the level moving.Planning matters as much as the operation itself
Deformity correction, infections & revision
Deformity, infection, tumor and revision surgery require more than a single-problem approach. The surgeon has to consider neurological compression, alignment, stability, bone quality, previous implants or scar tissue, infection control and the patient's overall medical reserve at the same time.
These cases may involve staged treatment, longer constructs, reconstruction or multidisciplinary input. The objective is not simply to make an X-ray look straighter; it is to improve or protect function while balancing the benefit of correction against the physiological cost of surgery.
Scoliosis & Kyphosis Correction
Adult & Pediatric
Assessment considers curve size, progression, balance, pain, neurological function and the patient's age and goals.
Spinal Tuberculosis & Chronic Infections
Treatment combines microbiological diagnosis and prolonged medical therapy with surgery when instability, abscess, deformity or neural compression requires it.
Revision Spine Surgeries
Complex failed-back cases
Revision planning identifies the actual pain generator, residual compression, non-union, implant issues, adjacent-level disease or deformity before another operation is considered.
Spinal Tumor Surgeries
Management is individualized around tumor biology, neurological risk, structural stability and coordination with oncology.
Detailed evaluation can include
- Standing alignment radiographs and advanced cross-sectional imaging.
- Review of previous operative notes and implants in revision cases.
- Laboratory and microbiology work-up for suspected infection.
- Bone-density optimization and medical clearance for complex reconstruction.
From Dr. Sharma's practice
Enlarge image: Vertebroplasty combined with spinal instrumentation for a fracture in weak bone (post-op X-rays).Recent advances
How these advances fit together Technology that shortens the road to recovery
Minimally Invasive Spine SurgeryDecompression, stabilisation and fusion through small, muscle-sparing access corridors instead of a long open incision.Read more 
Endoscopic Spine SurgeryA thin camera and fine instruments pass through a very small incision to treat disc herniations and stenosis.Read more 
Computer Navigation Spine SurgeryShows the position of instruments relative to your spine on a 3D image in real time, guiding accurate screw and implant placement.Read more 
Robotic Spine SurgeryCT-based planning and a robotic guidance arm help the surgeon place spinal screws with 97 to 99 percent accuracy, even in complex anatomy.Read more 
Spinal NeuromonitoringContinuous checks of spinal cord and nerve function during surgery, so the team is warned early if nerves are under stress.Read more 
LASER Spine SurgeryFocused light energy used as a precise tool in selected minimally invasive procedures, often alongside endoscopic surgery.Read more 
Disc Replacement SurgeryA worn disc is replaced with an artificial disc that keeps movement at that level, instead of fusing it.Read more Not sure which treatment applies to you?
Ask Dr. Sharma. A consultation, or a review of your existing MRI, gives you a clear answer.
Treatment questions
Frequently asked questions about spine treatment
Treatment decisions depend on symptoms, examination findings, imaging and how much the problem is affecting function, not on an MRI label alone.
No. Many disc-related symptoms improve with time, activity modification, medication and physiotherapy. Surgery is generally considered when symptoms remain disabling despite appropriate non-surgical care, or sooner when there is significant or progressive neurological loss or another urgent warning sign.
The best approach is the one that safely and completely treats the actual pathology. A minimally invasive corridor can reduce tissue disruption in suitable cases, but a wider exposure may be safer or more effective for some deformities, complex revisions, infections or multi-level problems.
Fusion is used when the spine needs added stability, for example in selected cases of instability, spondylolisthesis, deformity, reconstruction or when decompression would otherwise leave a segment unstable. It is not automatically required for every decompression or disc operation.
The decision combines the symptom pattern, neurological examination, imaging, spinal alignment and stability, previous treatment, age, bone quality, medical health and the patient's priorities. The operation should have a specific anatomical and functional goal that can be clearly explained before surgery.
MRI review · Second opinion
Already have an MRI report?
Send your scans and reports securely for Dr. Sharma to review, or book a consultation to discuss them in person.
- Private, encrypted upload, never a public link
- Reviewed together with your symptoms and history