Spine surgery abroad: what you should know

Facing a long wait for spinal surgery? What to understand about having a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or fusion procedure treated abroad — waiting times, cost, quality, and how the process works.

Chronic back or neck pain from a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or degenerative disc disease can end up needing surgery — and both the specialist appointment and the surgery slot can take a long time to come through. Having it done abroad is a legitimate option worth understanding.

Why the wait can be so long

In the Netherlands, the officially agreed maximum acceptable waiting time — the "Treeknorm" — is around four weeks for a first specialist appointment and six to seven weeks for treatment. For planned spinal surgery such as decompression or fusion, actual waits frequently run longer than that norm, and they vary from one hospital to another. It is worth checking the current published waiting time at your own hospital.

What spinal surgery involves

Depending on the diagnosis, treatment can range from minimally invasive decompression to spinal fusion. Whether surgery is right for you, which technique suits your case, and what your recovery will look like are decisions only your treating spine surgeon can make after a full assessment, including imaging. Saluvia does not give medical advice — this is general background, not a recommendation.

Why people consider having it done abroad

• Speed — being assessed and treated in weeks rather than months.
• Cost— you pay the hospital directly, the same price as going direct, and Saluvia's coordination is free to you. International patients are not charged Turkish VAT, so the total can be considerably lower than comparable private care in Western Europe. We do not publish per-treatment prices; the hospital confirms costs for your specific case.
• Quality — in Istanbul, the American Hospital and Koç University Hospital are members of the Mayo Clinic Care Network and hold JCI accreditation.

How it works with Saluvia

The process is the same as for any treatment we coordinate: you share your situation and existing imaging, the hospital's spine specialists review it and advise, and — if you decide to go ahead — we help you plan. Read the full walkthrough in How treatment abroad works, step by step, and if safety is on your mind, see how to judge a hospital abroad.

How to prepare

• Gather your relevant medical records in English — imaging reports (MRI/CT/X-ray), referral letters, and a current medication list.
• Note how your symptoms have progressed and what treatments (physio, injections, medication) you have already tried.
• Write down the questions you want to ask the hospital's specialists.

Every clinical decision about your spine is made by the hospital's own doctors. Our job is to get you to the right specialists quickly and support you through the process.

Request a free assessment to find out what treatment could look like for you.

Saluvia provides coordination, guidance, and information only — not medical advice. All medical assessment is carried out by the doctors at our partner hospitals.