There are plenty of reasons to appreciate the Dallas area, and for those suffering from chronic back and neck pain, expertise in artificial disc replacement is high among them. Word is out about the success stories coming from Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery’s Center for Disc Replacement, and people from across the country and beyond continue to travel to Plano in search of pain relief. What’s even better, is that Dallasites don’t have to travel far to get access to the expertise of the physicians on the medical staff at the Center for Disc Replacement. Whether you have suffered from back or neck pain for years without relief or have been told that a spinal fusion is the only option to treat your neck and back pain, it’s worth investigating the advantages of artificial disc replacement (ADR) surgery.
Surgeons on the medical staff at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery‘s Center for Disc Replacement are sought-after experts in ADR, an FDA-approved procedure. Dr. Scott Blumenthal and his spine surgeon colleagues, Drs. Richard Guyer, Jack Zigler, and Jessica Shellock—all spine surgeons on the medical staff at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery—have long been sought after as experts in ADR and recently have seen even more of an increase in patients traveling to Plano to learn more about ADR. “The world has changed due to the coronavirus as far as telemedicine,” Dr. Blumenthal says. “It played a significant role before the pandemic but is continuing to increase. The more proactive patients become in searching out their own answers online, they are finding places that deliver what they want. Artificial disc replacement isn’t performed everywhere in the country. When they are looking for where to go, they are finding the Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery.”
Dr. Blumenthal reveals the top five reasons people look to the Center for Disc Replacement for treatment of their spinal disorders.
An alternative to fusion.
For many years, a common treatment for chronic neck and back pain has been spinal fusion surgery. Though spinal fusion may be an appropriate surgery for some, fusion of the spinal vertebrae removes the motion typically found in the spine. This can limit mobility in the spine and cause additional stress on adjacent levels of the spine. There is also a longer recovery associated with spinal fusion surgery. “In my experience, if you are a candidate for fusion surgery, it’s in your best interest to find out if you could also be a candidate for motion-preserving artificial disc replacement surgery,” Dr. Blumenthal says. “Some surgeons continue to perform spinal fusions because they are comfortable with it, and they aren’t experienced in ADR, so it’s important to see a doctor that can offer you both options.” The surgeons on the medical staff at the Center for Disc Replacement were the first to utilize this technology in the United States with Dr. Blumenthal performing the first disc replacement surgery in an FDA trial in 2000. Their experience with disc replacement is unmatched in the United States. The surgeons on the medical staff at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery have performed more than 4,000 disc replacement procedures, have great results, and have created a program built on the experience, knowledge, and expertise of not only the surgeons on the medical staff but the support staff as well.
Disc replacement is a great option for many people suffering from back or neck pain.
For those with lower back pain who have exhausted conservative treatment options to relieve their pain, ADR has raised the bar. “For the right patient disc replacement has many benefits,” Dr. Blumenthal says. “Those who have a lumbar artificial disc replacement, many experience a reduction in pain and preserved motion. In the neck (cervical spine), there is an even broader expanse of potential patients. Not only can ADR treat neck pain, but it can also treat nerve issues, such as arm pain from a herniated disc. In my experience, about 90 percent of patients who come to us to be evaluated for ADR are good candidates. This is a large percentage of patients who may be helped.”
Motion preservation.
Just like knee or hip replacement, allowing for a more natural range of motion is helpful in spine surgery. ADR patients are able to move, bend, twist, and turn with a more natural range of motion. Since fusion surgery removes the motion in a spinal segment, this can create more pressure on the levels above and below the fusion which could result in accelerated disc degeneration and could require future spinal surgery.
Long-term relief.
Studies have shown ADR reduces the likelihood of needing further surgery in the future. Most patients can return to normal function, everyday activities, sports, and work sooner than with other spine surgeries, such as fusion. Recovery is typically twice as fast as fusion; cervical artificial disc patients are usually back to activities in six to eight weeks, and lumbar patients usually return to their normal activities in three to six months compared to six months to a year with fusion. Individual results may vary.
Expertise.
The surgeons on the medical staff at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery’s Center for Disc Replacement were the first to utilize ADR in the United States with the first FDA trial in March 2000. Drs. Scott Blumenthal, Richard Guyer, Jack Zigler, and Jessica Shellock–spine surgeons on the medical staff at the Center for Disc Replacement–were instrumental in educating insurance companies on why they should cover these procedures as well. Today, almost all insurance plans cover cervical ADR, and about 70 percent of insurance companies cover lumbar ADR. Patients travel from all over the world to receive care from the surgeons on the medical staff at the Center for Disc Replacement. The surgeons on the medical staff have performed more than 4,000 ADR procedures with 14 different types of ADR devices. In addition to lecturing worldwide about ADR surgery, they have authored and published numerous articles on the subject and train surgeons from around the world.
The spine surgeons on the medical staff at the Center for Disc Replacement are renowned experts in ADR. They are recognized as leaders, researchers, and advocates for continued innovation in the field of spine surgery. Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery and the surgeons on the medical staff are deeply committed to providing exceptional care for back and neck pain sufferers. If you have been suffering from back or neck pain and want to learn more about disc replacement, visit https://thcds.com/centerfordiscreplacement/ or give us a call today at 972-608-5146!
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