Spokane surgeons offer FDA-approved artificial disc
Neurosurgeons at Sacred Heart Medical Center now offer more patients a new treatment for cervical degenerative disc disease, thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA's) approval of the Prestige Cervical Disc. Made by Medtronic, Prestige is the first artificial disc to treat this condition, one of the most common causes of neck and arm pain.
"Roughly 40 residents of the Spokane region are already walking around with this device," says Dean Martz, MD. These patients received the Prestige artificial disc while Martz and other neurosurgeons with Inland Neurosurgery and Spine Associates participated in national clinical trials in 2003-2006, researching the effectiveness of the new technology.
Most insurance plans do not yet cover the new procedure. But with FDA approval and growing interest from patients suffering from degenerative disc disease, the surgery is likely to be covered by an increasing number of private insurance companies in the future, making it available to a wider population of patients.
The cervical spine (neck region) consists of seven bones (vertebrae) separated from one another by discs that allow the neck to bend and rotate. After a surgeon removes the impaired natural disc, the stainless steel artificial disc is attached to the adjacent vertebrae with bone screws.
The only other surgical option is removal of a diseased or bulging disc and fusing two or more vertebrae in the neck. Fusion restricts movement, increasing stress on other segments of the spine, often causing patients to need further surgeries.
"Although fusion is a time-honored procedure, people with artificial disc replacement tend to return to their regular activities more rapidly," Dr. Martz explains. "And because the disc preserves normal motion of the spine, we hope it will make it less likely that patients will need additional surgeries."
The FDA based its approval on a clinical study of 541 patients. The clinical study showed that the device improved neck and/or arm pain, and was as safe and effective as cervical fusion. As a condition of approval, Medtronic will study outcomes over the next seven years to evaluate the long-term safety and effectiveness.
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