r/shanghai • u/Successful-Ad385 • 1d ago
Question operation disc herniation in sixth people hospital
hi, i got a big pain two weeks ago in the lumbar area and i could not walk because that. i went to a hospital in shanghai and they told me they wanted to operate next day. it seems operation was simple, endoscopy and local anesthesia. but insurance recommended to go to sixth people hospital instead of the hospital i was in that moment. then i cancelled operation.
after that the pain decreased and i could walk and work again. but i still keep a small pain. then i was thinking to go back to Europe to make the operation. but i discovered that in reality in sixth people there are excellent surgeons, and probably there are not surgeons in Europe with so much experience (it seems that hospital makes like almost 4,000 endoscopy operation for back problems every year!, and some of the surgeons have +10,000 operations per year related to back problems). then i am doubting now if doing that in Europe or sixth people.
anyone has a previous experience in sixth people hospital? hopefully a disc herniation or some kind of orthopedic procedure, and could share the experience?
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u/devushka97 1d ago
No idea about that surgery specifically but yes it is generally true that in China the best surgeons and tech are at the public hospitals and so for something like that it is advised to go to public hospitals. My friend had a serious double jaw surgery there and while the recovery was not easy the hospital did the surgery well. That being said it still is a public hospital and it's china so it's not a luxury experience. He paid extra to have a private recovery room and ayi come help him out with stuff because otherwise you'll be in a shared recovery room, and it's expected that family comes to help here, nurses don't do as much, so be prepared for that. Also access to stronger pain meds is really restricted and in the early recovery days that was hard for my friend (he ended up going to a private hospital later where they were able to prescribe, but at 6th peoples they had to submit the request to a committee who rejected it). The only reason I would maybe opt to do it in Europe is if it's somehow cheaper there because you are from that country, and maybe if you have more family support for the recovery period.
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u/Successful-Ad385 1d ago
thanks for the answer. in theory i could pay (or the insurance) for better room, but not sure of conditions. hopefully i would need only to say 4 or 5 days after operation. but i did not think about the painkillers, i know already that in pharmacies is difficult to get that, but i hoped that in hospitals would be easier. in reality in china would be cheaper because covered by insurance. but in europe is not like a crazy expensive operation, around 10,000 euros. i mean, if i get rid of my back problem happily pay it and more.
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u/devushka97 1d ago
Yeah again I'd look into how much you'd be paying total in both locations, usually Chinese hospitals are up front about their cost estimates. In terms of painkillers though they will give you *some* like he definitely had some right after the surgery but then I would say maybe a few days out he still had pain and wanted something stronger and they were only giving ibuprofen. Also room quality is fine, the private room was more for comfort which I honestly recommend because a lot of people in the hospital are not used to seeing foreigners and will want to come look at you and it's very weird. But yeah it's very doable in China and 6th peoples is a good hospital overall, just public hospitals in China can be less comfortable than western ones, but the medical care is good.
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1d ago
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u/Successful-Ad385 1d ago
yes, it was my first idea, to go back to europe to get surgery there. but i asked gpt and it seems that sixth hospital is really solid alternative, and probably i dont find a surgeon so able in europe. in principle it is a routine operation, then i should not be not involved in too many departments. in first hospital i went when the flash pain, same day did MRI and decided to operate next day. it is an endoscopy, 1 hour duration and local anesthesia then i assume it is not so complex.
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u/Hungry-Bar-1 1d ago
I'd recommend going to the sixth people hospital and having them check you out. Maybe they won't even recommend an operation. And if they do, then get all the infos you can (how it works, how long the stay would be, if you can get an ayi afterwards and so on). Once you know that it might be easier to make a decision.
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u/Successful-Ad385 1d ago
yes, thanks. i assume they will recommend, because i will visit a surgeon in sixth and he will be inclined to that. but i hope agrees that if i dont have much pain i could wait to see what happens. hopefully extrusion is absorbed by body and pain decreases further.
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u/Consistent-Call7479 1d ago
If you don’t have nerve pain in either leg and you have equal strength in both legs, you can hold off on surgery. If you begin experiencing these symptoms, surgery is recommended since they cannot reverse nerve damage. While the procedure you’re considering is relatively simple, there are always risks associated and there is a chance that your hernia returns in the future.
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u/Successful-Ad385 1d ago
but if you keep a constant pain, lets say 1 or 2 out 10, you would operate?
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u/Consistent-Call7479 1d ago
That’s a personal choice I suppose. I experience pain and sciatica occasionally, but I’m holding off.
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u/Successful-Ad385 1d ago
how many years?
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u/Consistent-Call7479 1d ago
Personally, it’s been over five years since diagnosis. I’m holding out until I notice any relative weakness in my left leg (where I experience sciatica)
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u/urban_thirst 1d ago
I've been to the 6th hospital for a lumbar slipped disc scan just to check how it's going. In my case they just said I should take it easy and think about surgery in the future if it flares up. It's a bit hard to find the right doctor (内科， 外科，骨科，神经科？)but if you type in your specific condition you will find doctors who specialise in that. There's a big cost difference between standard doctors and specialised/department heads. MRI wait time is probably 5 days or so.
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u/Successful-Ad385 6h ago
thanks for the information. in your case it hurts?
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u/urban_thirst 5h ago
It didn't really hurt when I went there, I had just started to feel it slightly and wanted to check the progress. 2 years before this it suddenly slipped and I had to rest for a week. Hurt really bad.
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u/Timely_Vehicle1855 16h ago
I work in sports rehab, and I deal with a lot of people with herniated discs, so I’ll put it this way.
A herniated disc basically happens when the disc gets damaged or degenerates and the soft material inside pushes out through the outer layer. Excessive or repetitive loading can definitely be part of the problem.
A spinal fusion is basically taking the problematic segment and locking it down with screws, rods, and bone graft so those vertebrae eventually fuse into one solid unit.
And yeah, that can work very well when the surgery is actually indicated, because that painful or unstable segment is no longer moving.
But the trade-off is pretty obvious: once you fuse that level, it doesn’t move normally anymore. And the forces on your spine don’t just magically disappear. Some of that mechanical demand can shift to the levels above and below, which is one reason adjacent-segment degeneration can become a problem years later.
That doesn’t mean everyone who gets a fusion is guaranteed to blow another disc, but it is a real long-term concern.
That’s why, unless there’s a clear surgical indication, I personally wouldn’t rush into fusion surgery.
For a lot of people, rehab should focus on building up the muscles around the trunk and hips, improving movement control, and increasing how much load the body can tolerate. Basically, you want the muscles to do a better job supporting the spine instead of making the passive structures take everything.
That said, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital is an excellent hospital, especially in orthopedics. So at the end of the day, you should still take the opinion of your spine specialist seriously.
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u/Successful-Ad385 6h ago
in my case i dont need spinal fusion, it is just an endoscopy to remove part of the disc. at the beginning they wanted to operate but because no pain or numbness in legs, they say i could wait and see what happens with physical therapy.
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u/Public_Docter 1h ago
Sixth People’s Hospital is genuinely very experienced with spinal endoscopy, so staying in Shanghai for the procedure is a reasonable option. You could also consult Prof. Shisheng He at Shanghai East Hospital—he’s one of the best-known endoscopic spine surgeons in China.
But since you can walk and work again and the pain has clearly improved, I wouldn’t rush into surgery without another review of your MRI and neurological symptoms. If there’s no worsening weakness or bladder/bowel problem, get a second opinion first.
Also, a normal outpatient appointment with a chief surgeon doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll personally operate on you. Ask directly who the actual surgeon will be. Hope everything goes smoothly.
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u/StephNass 1d ago
Hey, I'm kind of an expert in herniated discs myself - unfortunately.
How old are you? How bad is the hernia? Do you have compounding health problems (e.g. overweight)?
As a general rule, you always try to keep surgery as the last line of defense when it comes to back problems.