Our spine surgeons at Summit are at the forefront of advancements in the design of implants, tools to better diagnose the source of back pain, and surgical techniques. One exciting surgical option available at Summit is cervical disc arthroplasty disc replacement surgery.
What is disc replacement surgery?
Cervical disc arthroplasty, sometimes known as Mobi-C surgery, is a very specialized disc replacement surgery designed to replace damaged discs in the neck (cervical spine) while preserving natural range of motion and function, and providing a shorter postsurgical recovery. This procedure removes the diseased spinal disc pad between the bones and replaces it with a mechanical disc device that mimics the function of the disc.
Few surgeons nationwide are certified to perform this complicated procedure. Summit’s spine team was the first in the Midwest to perform the Mobi-C two-level cervical disc replacement procedure.
How does disc replacement compare to spinal fusion surgery?
Historically, spinal fusion surgery has been considered the “gold standard” for treating back pain when nonsurgical methods cease to be effective. This procedure fuses two or more vertebrae together in the spine, preventing the two fused vertebrae from moving separately. Fusion surgery can improve back pain, but the patient loses mobility in the part of the spine that is fused.
In additional to preserving range of motion in the spine, a disc replacement procedure may also improve long-term surgical outcomes compared to traditional fusion procedures.
Patients undergoing fusion surgery do well for about five years following surgery. Beyond five years, some patients experience deterioration of the discs above and/or below the fused discs. With disc replacement surgery, we are seeing a lower rate of adjacent disc deterioration after five years.
At Summit, total disc replacements utilizing advanced devices like Mobi-C are among the highly specialized procedures we offer our patients to improve outcomes, preserve range of motion, and restore the function that enables you to enjoy the greatest quality of life.
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