When we think of our spine, we often forget the components between our vertebrae that allow us to move fluidly and easily — our discs. They sit in between each vertebra and act as cushions.
Unfortunately, a condition called degenerative disc disease causes your disc to become worn and damaged, and this results in chronic, sometimes debilitating pain, a loss of sensation, and weakness, in your back, neck, or leg. This decay happens because your discs get worn over the years, or they get injured.
Dr. Benjamin Cohen has devoted his career to back health and back surgery, so he’s expertly prepared to discuss, diagnose, and offer a customized treatment plan for your degenerative disc disease, from conservative treatment to surgical options.
Discs are vital in that they give you the power to stand up, bend over, and twist your body. They allow you mobility.
They’re ingeniously designed to serve as efficient shock absorbers for your body. If you have degenerative disc disease, however, know that you’re not alone. Up to 35% of the population suffers from this problem.
Artificial disc replacement has become a mainstream procedure and quite a viable alternative to spinal fusion, a procedure in which Dr. Cohen places a bone graft on the vertebrae that require it, and inserts a metal screw, rod, or plate to keep the bones stable while they fuse together.
Advantages that artificial disc replacement have over spinal fusion include:
Because it takes time for bones to fuse together, the artificial disc replacement process offers less wait time before you’re able to return to your normal life and activities. The typical recovery time from spinal fusion is three to six months, while it’s generally three months for artificial disc replacement.
Artificial disc replacement is FDA-approved, and advances continue to make the procedure an even better and safer option for patients. The treatment offers a highly effective remedy for patients with degenerative disc disease, because artificial discs:
Not only are artificial discs strong, their lifespan averages an impressive 50 years, long enough to accomodate the 6,000,000 times (or more) a person bends over five decades, on average.
After you receive anesthesia, Dr. Cohen makes an incision in your abdomen in order to access your damaged disc. Dr. Cohen switches out your worn and damaged disc for the state-of-the-art artificial one, and then he closes your incision.
Dr. Cohen prescribes safe pain medications, encourages you to move gently as soon as possible after the surgery, and counsels you about safe exercises to do during recovery.
Call our office at 516-231-2849 to schedule a consultation to discuss artificial disc replacement surgery with Dr. Cohen.
