US citizen undergoes spinal surgery in SMS hosp – ET HealthWorld

Orla (name changed) from Atlanta, who is a jewellery designer, was admitted to SMS Hospital 21 days ago with unbearable back and leg pain (sciatica), which she had been suffering for two long years. SMS Hospital neurosurgeons examined her and she underwent a surgery on July 26. She is now on the recovery path and doctors say she would be discharged on Sunday.

“I have been coming to India for quite a few years as a jewellery designer. I had Covid during my stay here and recovered. I had problems with my back and sought help from SMS doctors,” she said, adding that she was just amazed with the facilities and care that she received. She added that she had consulted doctors of other hospitals but SMS doctors diagnosed her problem of back pain, which she had been facing for two years.

“She opted for SMS Hospital for the elective surgery. It is the result of the state-of-the-art infrastructure we are developing with world class facilities for catering medical tourism,” said Dr Sudhir Bhandari, principal and controller, SMS Medical College.

SMS Medical College informed the US embassy about her getting admitted to the hospital for surgery. “Earlier too, foreign nationals were brought to the hospital but in emergency situations. Probably, it is the first such case in which an American national got admitted for a planned or elective surgery,” said Dr Rajesh Sharma, superintendent, SMS Hospital.

Before getting admitted to SMS Hospital, Orla had consulted some other private facilities. “When we examined her, we found that she had problem called L 4-L 5 spondylolisthesis, for which spine surgery was advised,” said Dr Rashim Kataria, professor (neurosurgery) SMS Hospital, who performed the surgery, under the supervision of Dr Devendra Purohit, head of the department (neurosurgery). The cost of the operation at SMS Hospital was around Rs 40,000 to 50,000, including the cost of the implant.