Artificial Disc Reduces Back Pain, Restores Function, Keeps Motion

BRIDGEPORT — A new FDA approved artificial disc used in the treatment of lower back pain will now be available at St Vincent’s Medical Center. It is a major surgical breakthrough in the treatment of severe back pain due to degenerative spinal disease.

Gerard J. Girasole, MD, a spine surgeon affiliated with St Vincent’s Medical Center, who performs the newly approved procedure, said that St Vincent’s is one of the few centers in the region where patients can undergo the innovative disc replacement surgery.

“Lower back pain is a significant problem that affects many Americans. Today, we have several procedures to treat patients who have failed nonoperative management. The newly approved artificial disc gives us another option with great promise for patients,” he said.

Dr Girasole said that he was able to introduce the new procedure at St Vincent’s because he has participated in national clinical trials of the Maverick Replacement disc, which gave him considerable experience in the new disc replacement surgery.

“That’s important because it’s likely that other artificial disc devices developed by different companies will soon be approved by the FDA and introduced to the market. We already have the experience of a one-year follow-up of patients who are doing well. This positions us to introduce further advances,” he said.

Dr Girasole is a member of Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center with offices in Trumbull, Fairfield, Stratford, and Shelton.

While artificial replacements are commonly used in hips and knees, this is the first FDA approval of such a device for spinal discs, said Dr Girasole.

“This prosthesis is analogous to one used in knee or hip replacement. These devices restore and maintain normal function. In particular, the benefit of disc replacement is that it maintains normal spinal motion,” he said.

“Many people are living with back pain so severe that even walking is a struggle. Patients present themselves with pain that is constant and intense and limits their motion. On a scale of one to ten, they live with a pain level between eight and ten every day.”

With the new procedure, Dr Girasole can now remove the damaged disc and replace it with the new DePuy Spine’s CHARITÉ Artificial Disc, a high-tech device made of two metallic endplates and a movable high-density plastic center.

“In clinical trials comparing artificial disc replacement to spinal fusion surgery, artificial disc patients maintained or improved their range of motion and experienced improvements in pain. There were no significant differences in complications and many were back to work faster than with fusion surgery,” Dr Girasole said.

Dr Girasole said the replacement disc gives the patient back all the things that most people take for granted. They can once again carry groceries, play golf, and do all the other things that keep them in shape and help them function every day. Bending and moving are no longer a painful chore or impossibility.

Typically, the procedure requires the assistance of a vascular surgeon, who approaches the spine through an incision in the abdomen and carefully moves blood vessels and internal organs out of the way to provide access to the spine. A spine surgeon then uses special tools to remove the damaged disc and creates a space between two vertebrae for the implantation of the artificial disc. The procedure generally takes about one to two hours.

Dr Girasole said that artificial disc replacement is not appropriate for every patient with lower back pain and does not always replace the need for spinal fusion. Lumbar spinal fusion is also effective in reducing pain.

As with any major surgery, there are possible complications that can occur including unresolved pain, allergic reactions, bladder problems and/or infection. Patients should ask their doctors to see if artificial disc replacement is appropriate for them.

About 65 million Americans suffer from low back pain every year, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).

“Patients who are interested in exploring artificial disc replacement should seek a well qualified surgeon with vast experience in performing anterior [through the stomach] spine surgery,” Dr Girasole said. “Clinical trials have proven that artificial disc replacement not only maintains spinal flexibility but also reduces pain and restores function. We believe it’s the beginning of many future developments in technology and surgical techniques that will expand the indications for this procedure.”

Patrick Carolan, MD, chief of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery, said that other St Vincent’s orthopedic surgeons are currently in training to perform the surgery. St. Vincent’s physicians perform a wide range of orthopedic surgery from spinal fusion to total knee and hip replacement. The Medical Center also sponsors “Joint Camp,” an innovative program to prepare patients for surgery and speed their recovery through group therapy. For more information, call the toll-free St. Vincent’s Careline at 877-255-SVHS (7847) or visit www.stvincents.org.