Total Disc Replacement

If nonsurgical treatments aren’t easing severe back or neck pain, visit Stepan Kasimian, MD, and his colleagues at HAAS Spine & Orthopaedics. The practice has convenient offices in Glendale, Santa Ana, and Upland, California, offering advanced total disc replacement surgery. This surgery is provided to patients with treatment-resistant herniated discs in their neck or lower back. Call HAAS Spine & Orthopaedics today or book an appointment online to discover how you can benefit from a total disc replacement.

What is a total disc replacement?

A total disc replacement surgically removes a worn or damaged disc from your spine, replacing it with an artificial one.

Your spine consists of a stack of bones (vertebrae) that form your spinal column. Discs sit between each vertebra, absorbing the shock traveling up your back and stabilizing your spinal column.

A standard approach to treating disc problems is removing the disc and fusing the vertebrae on either side. Fusion effectively relieves back pain and supports the spine but reduces your flexibility.

A total disc replacement closely matches your natural spinal movement. After surgery, you should retain more flexibility than you would after a spinal fusion.

When would I need a total disc replacement?

You could benefit from a total disc replacement if you have severe back pain and limited mobility caused by a damaged disc. Conditions affecting the spinal discs are common, especially later in life.

Aging causes degenerative disc disease, where the discs dry out, flatten, and weaken. Disc herniation happens when the disc’s core pushes through the outer shell into your spinal canal. Trauma from an auto accident or fall can also cause a herniated disc.

Damaged discs can cause the spinal canal to narrow (spinal stenosis), compressing or pinching the nerves in your spinal canal. This is a common cause of back and neck pain, weakness, numbness, and unpleasant tingling or prickling sensations.

Nonsurgical treatments like physical therapy, medication, and epidural steroid injections often reduce the symptoms of disc problems. If you suffer disabling pain and aren’t improving after several months of expert care at HAAS Spine & Orthopaedics, your surgeon might recommend a total disc replacement.

What does a total disc replacement involve?

The HAAS Spine & Orthopaedics surgeons perform a total disc replacement on cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back) vertebrae. The surgery requires a general anesthetic, so you’ll sleep through your operation.

The HAAS Spine & Orthopaedics surgeons use minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) whenever possible to complete a total disc replacement. This approach causes less tissue damage and bleeding, and you experience less pain after surgery and recover more quickly.

Your surgeon makes one or more incisions to access the damaged disc. They remove it (discectomy) and prepare the space for the artificial disc. Your surgeon inserts the artificial disc and secures it in the correct position. Then they stitch the incisions and dress the wound.

Rehabilitation after total disc replacement involves specialized physical therapy. Recovery takes 4-6 weeks.

Call HAAS Spine & Orthopaedics today or book an appointment online to learn how artificial disc replacement can relieve your back or neck pain.