Dakhir Abukov, a neurosurgeon at the Research Institute of Surgery and Emergency Medicine of St. Petersburg Pavlov State University, together with Shamil Sadikov, the head of the neurosurgery department at Vishnevsky Republic Clinical Hospital, has performed an exemplary operation for doctors - endoscopic monoportal removal of a herniated disc.

The uniqueness of the new technique is that it is performed through a small puncture in the spine of 5-6 mm in diameter, without damaging the muscles and bones. Through this puncture, the herniated disc is removed. The operation takes just over 30 minutes. Rapid recovery, the ability to sit and walk almost immediately after the operation, the absence of post-operative scars - these are the undeniable advantages of the latest technique for treating herniated discs.

Until recently, we used to remove a herniated disc through an operating microscope, making a small incision over the area of the disc - Sadikov says. - With the acquisition of an endoscopic stand and an intra-operative X-ray device, our capabilities have expanded, and now such procedures can be performed through a small puncture, allowing the patient to be discharged home almost immediately after the operation.

Slipped disc is one of the most common diseases in Dagestan. Every year, around 2,500 people in the region have to ask for medical assistance.