The Alternatives to Lumbar Disc Surgery

Lumbar disc surgery is a treatment option for types of lower back pain. Ninety percent of Americans will develop lower back and an estimated one million Americans suffer from a specific type of chronic back pain.

Alternatives to lumbar disc surgery include artificial disc replacement, intradiscal electrothermal coagulation, and posterior dynamic stabilization. Learn about these procures and how they can help relieve the symptoms of back pain.

Artificial Disc Replacement

With artificial discs, the affected disc is removed and replaced by a healthy artificial disc. Unlike lumbar disc fusion surgery, the procedure does not inhibit the motion of the spine.

There are several advantages to having artificial disc surgery over spinal fusion surgery. First, the motion of the spine is maintained after surgery. This can reduce the risk of other vertebrae from wearing down prematurely. Also, artificial disc surgery can achieve better pain reduction than an lumbar disc fusion surgery.

Like all surgeries, there are risks with artificial disc surgery. There are have been cases where the implanted disc has slipped out of place. When this happens, emergency surgery is needed to correct the complication.

Intradiscal Electrothermal Coagulation (IDET)

During the IDET procedure, a needle is inserted into the lumbar region and sends heat to the outer section of the disc space. While doctors can not pinpoint the reason why this surgery works, most believe the heat causes the collagen fibers to thicken. When this occurs, the tears and cracks of the vertebrae seal.

The procedure is performed with the aid of real-time x-ray imagery. The doctor inserts a hollow needle into the damaged disc. A small wire-like probe is inserted into the needle and pushed until the heated tip is near the area of disc injury.

After the probe is removed, a small amount of antibiotic is delivered to the disc. This will help guard the patient against infection. The needle is then removed and a sterile bandage is placed over the area of the needle stick.

The patient is then moved to the recovery room and monitored for about an hour. The patient is the allowed to be driven home.

Although this procedure is an alternative to lumbar disc surgery, it has not shown significant benefit to people who suffer from severe disc degeneration.

Posterior Dynamic Stabilization

Posterior dynamic stabilization is a procedure where a medical device is used to reduce the pressure from the vertebral disc. The effect of the procedure acts as a brace would remove pressure from a injured knee or ankle. The result of the procedure helps reduce pressure for the spine so that it an heal properly and reduce pain. The procedure is still developing and the effectiveness and potential risk associated with the posterior dynamic stabilization procedure is still undetermined.

References

Spin Universe: Artificial Disc Replacement - www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/surgery/artificial-disc-replacement

National Library of Medicine: Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (IDET) for Lower Back Pain - www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=hsarchive&part=A1356

Neuro Spine: The Effect of Posterior Dynamic Stabilization - www.neurospine.or.kr/event/kjss/2007/05-Special%20Lecture.pdf