FirstHealth Neurosurgery Offers New Option to Spinal Surgery
| Date Posted: 5/13/2015
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Dennis Campbell, M.D. |
PINEHURST – The three neurosurgeons with FirstHealth Neurosurgery are now usinganew medical device that was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two-level cervical disc replacement surgery.
Dennis Campbell, M.D., Larry Carson, M.D., and Bruce Jauffman, M.D., are the only neurosurgeons in this region using the Mobi-C Cervical Disc artificial disc replacement (ADR) product as an alternative to traditional spinal fusion surgery in patients suffering from degenerative disc disease.
According to Dr. Campbell, the new ADR device eliminates the need for the screws, plates and grafts necessary for spinal fusion.
“It does allow for continued mobility of the spine, eliminating stress to the discs above and below the affected area,” he says.
In fusion surgery, the diseased disc is removed and either a bone spacer or a plastic implant is used to restore disc height and remove pressure on the pinched nerves or spinal cord. A metal plate and screws hold the implant in place to produce a “fused” segment that no longer moves.
According to Dr. Campbell, the loss of motion can create additional stress on the spinal levels above and below the fused area.
“Placement of the new device – the only FDA-approved replacement device for both one- and two-level applications – allows the area to maintain normal motion, potentially preventing the degeneration of adjacent vertebrae and possibly preventing future surgeries,” he says.
Results of the rigorous FDA trial indicated an overall study success rate of 69.7 percent as compared to traditional cervical fusion results of 37.4 percent. In addition, at 24 months post-surgery, patients who received the two-level replacement device during the study were able to return to work three weeks earlier on average as compared to those who had cervical fusion.
The ADR patients in the study also had lower rates of follow-up surgeries and reduced rates of ongoing degeneration.
FirstHealth Neurosurgery is located at 10 Aviemore Drive in Pinehurst. For more information on the new cervical disc replacement treatment option, visit www.firsthealth.org/mobi-c.
