There are plenty of reasons to appreciate the Dallas area, and for those suffering from chronic back and neck pain, unrivaled expertise in artificial disc replacement is high among them. Word is out about the success stories coming from the Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery, and people from across the country and beyond continue to travel to Plano in search of pain relief. What’s even better, is Dallasites don’t have to travel far to get access to the expertise of the physicians 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 at The Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery are sought-after experts in ADR, an FDA-approved, life-changing procedure. Dr. Scott Blumenthal, spine surgeon on the medical staff at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery, and his spine surgeon colleagues, Drs. Richard Guyer, Jack Zigler, and Jessica Shellock, have long been sought after as experts in artificial disc replacement 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,” he 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 the center with the longest-term experience and proven results, 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.
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 artificial disc replacement, so it’s important to see a doctor that can offer you both options, like my colleagues and I. The surgeons at the Center for Disc Replacement were the first to utilize this technology in the US with Dr. Blumenthal performing the first disc replacement surgery in an FDA trial in 2000. Our experience with disc replacement is unmatched in the United States having performed more than 4,000 disc replacement procedures, we have incredible results and have built a program building on the experience, knowledge, and expertise of not only the surgeons but the support staff as well.”
For those with lower back pain who have exhausted conservative treatment options to relieve their pain, artificial disc replacement has raised the bar. “For the right patient disc replacement has many benefits,” Dr. Blumenthal says. “Those who have a lumbar artificial disc replacement may 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 artificial disc replacement 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 artificial disc replacement are really good candidates. This is an enormous percentage of patients that can be helped.”
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 about and below the fusion which could result in accelerated disc degeneration and could require future spinal surgery.
Studies have shown artificial disc replacement 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 about twice as fast as fusion; cervical artificial disc patients are back to activities in six to eight weeks and lumbar patients return to their normal activities in three to six months compared to six months to a year with fusion.
The physicians at the Center for Disc Replacement at THCDS were the first to utilize artificial disc replacement in the US with the first FDA trial in March 2000. Drs. Scott Blumenthal, Richard Guyer, Jack Zigler, and Jessica Shellock were instrumental in educating insurance companies on why they should cover these procedures as well. Today, almost all insurance plans cover cervical artificial disc replacement, and about 70 percent of insurance companies cover lumbar artificial disc replacement. Patients travel from all over the world to receive care from the surgeons at the Center for Disc Replacement. The surgeons at the Center for Disc Replacement have performed more than 4,000 artificial disc replacement procedures with 14 different types of ADR devices. In addition to lecturing worldwide about artificial disc replacement surgery, they have authored and published numerous articles on the subject and trained surgeons from around the world.
The spine surgeons at the Center for Disc Replacement are world-renowned experts in artificial disc replacement. They are recognized as leaders, researchers, and advocates for continued innovation in the field of spine surgery and are deeply committed to providing world-class care for back and neck pain sufferers. With people traveling from all over the world, Dallas once again has unparalleled access to exceptional medical care. If you have been suffering from back or neck pain and want to learn more about disc replacement, visit the following link or call 972-608-5146.
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750 North St.Paul St. Suite 2100 Dallas, Texas 75201