Questions Wise Patients Ask Their Doctor Before Cervical Disc Replacement

Questions Wise Patients Ask Their Doctor Before Cervical Disc Replacement

The disc is a soft cushion-like structure between the individual bones of the spine. In most cases, a disc is quite flexible and allows the spine to bend. Disc replacement is defined as the removal of the damaged spinal disc, followed by insertion of an artificial disc between the vertebrae. The artificial disc mimics the functions of a damaged disc, that is, to carry a load and help in motion.

Artificial discs are mostly made from metal- or plastic-like (biopolymer) materials or a combination of both. Artificial Cervical Disc Replacement is needed when the pain arising due to degenerative disc disease or any other disorder is not relieved through non-invasive methods such as medicines, injections, chiropractic therapy, or physical therapy.

blog-detail

Know About Cervical Disc Replacement from Procedure to Recovery

Know More

The type of artificial disc to be used depends on the cause of your back pain, the severity of the pain, and the comfort or experience of the surgeon. The various indications for disc replacement include:

  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Back and leg pain
  • Degenerative scoliosis
  • Disc-related back pain
  • Post-facetectomy syndrome
  • Failed previous surgery
  • Unstable spinal stenosis
  • Isthmic spondylolisthesis
  • Degenerative spondylolisthesis
  • Segmental instability

Your surgeon will correlate the results of your investigations with conclusions from your history and physical examination to find out the source of your pain. However, not everyone can undergo a disc replacement procedure. Your doctor will determine the best treatment for you based on your medical condition. Disc replacement cannot be done in patients with osteoporosis as they do not have strong bones to support the procedure. Also, it is not considered as a highly successful procedure in patients who are aged 50 and above.

Before the surgery, your doctor will discuss the detailed procedure with you and answer your doubts and queries. Some questions to ask your doctor before getting ready for disc replacement to include the following:

Q. Why do I need disc replacement surgery?

A. It is important to talk with your surgeon about the purpose of your surgery and how it is related to the diagnosis of your spinal problem. For example, you must understand why it is recommended – to relieve pain, improve functioning, or improve the symptoms?

Q. Are there any other alternatives to disc replacement surgery?

A. For most spinal conditions wherein the pain is not relieved by non-invasive methods, spine surgery is the only option. The type of spine surgery that the doctor decides to conduct may depend on the ailment or the root cause of the pain. The most common alternative to disc replacement is microdiscectomy followed by spinal fusion. However, talk to your surgeon if he/she knows about other options or if there is any reason to try a different kind of treatment or postpone the procedure.

Some of the most commonly known alternatives to Disc Replacement is as follows:

  • Spinal Fusion Surgery: Spinal fusion surgery is a type of spinal procedure used to join two or more bones permanently in the spine and prevent movement between them. The bones that are joined are called vertebrae. Spinal fusion surgery is performed along with other surgical procedures such as foraminotomy or laminectomy and after diskectomy in the neck. It is required if the patient has an injury or a fracture of the vertebrae.
  • IDET or Intradiscal Electrothermal Coagulation:  This procedure involves inserting a needle into the lumbar disc space, passing a catheter through the needle, and heating up the annulus (the outer core of the disc space).
  • Posterior Dynamic Stabilization: This treatment is different from fusion in that posterior dynamic stabilization seeks to preserve motion in the spine while also taking pressure off the diseased vertebral disc.
  • Disc Regeneration: Researchers in cellular and molecular biology are exploring ways to use gene therapy to stimulate regeneration of the vertebral disc and/or to slow or prevent degeneration of the disc.

Q. What are the benefits of having a disc replacement?

A: Ask your surgeon what benefits you will experience after the disc replacement procedure. Also, ask why disc replacement is a better option than microdiscectomy or spinal fusion and vice versa. You should ask when can you return to work again and whether you will live a pain-free life after the surgery. You should seek knowledge of how long these benefits will last or if you will need to undergo another surgery after some time.

Q. What are the risks involved in disc replacement procedures?

A: All surgeries carry some risks of developing certain complications such as infection, excessive bleeding, and nerve injury. In addition to these, disc replacement can also lead to complications such as sensitivity to the material of the artificial disc, breakage or wear and tear of the disc’s components, dislocation of the implant, damage to the vertebra where the disc replacement was done, or failure of improvement after the procedure. Your surgeon will discuss all the risks involved in the procedure.

Q. What if I choose not to undergo disc replacement?

A: After you have learned all about the risks involved, ask your surgeon what will happen if you choose not to undergo the procedure. You can ask question such as will your condition worsen or will you experience even greater pain than what you have?

Q. Can I have an MRI after having an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion?

A: MRI or CT scans are performed on people that have undergone a spinal fusion surgery with titanium implants to rule out re-herniation or to aid the physician to understand the condition post-Cervical Disc Replacement Surgery. Always inform the imaging technician performing the MRI or CT scan that you have undergone spinal replacement.

Q. Have you completed a fellowship in spine surgery?

A: It is important to note that only an orthopedic or neurosurgeon should perform spine surgery. Anyone performing a disc replacement procedure should have completed a fellowship in spine surgery. Ask your surgeon whether he/she has completed a fellowship.

Q. What has been your experience with this procedure?

A: Ask your surgeon about how many disc replacement procedures he/she has performed before. Try to understand his or her experience in the management of the condition that you have and the procedure. Ask your surgeon for any references to a person who also had disc replacement done.

Q. What is the overall success rate of disc replacement and what is your success rate?

A: No surgery is 100 percent successful. Ask your surgeon what is the overall success rate of the disc replacement procedures and what has been his personal record. Both numbers should be close to one another.

Q. Do you collect any data for research or to track your patient outcomes or complications?

A: Ask your surgeon, if he/she has a track record maintained for previous patients on whom he/she carried out the disc replacement procedure. Ask for the complications as well as outcomes of the procedure carried out on the previous patients.

Q. Do you perform the entire procedure or will there be a team involved?

A: Some surgeons perform the entire disc replacement procedure from start to finish on their own, while others work with a small number of team members. Ask your surgeon who all will be in the operating room and what will be their respective roles.

Q. Where will the disc replacement be performed?

A: Since most surgeons work in more than one hospital; ask your surgeon where the procedure will be carried out. If you are given a choice, choose the facility that has the most experience and high success rate in treating the condition that you have. Ask your surgeon whether or not your procedure will require you to stay in the hospital and for how long.

Q. How long will the entire procedure take?

A: Ask your surgeon about the total duration of the disc replacement procedure. Most artificial disc replacement procedures take about 2 to 3 hours.

Q. How long will it take for me to recover from Artificial Cervical Disc Replacement Surgery?

A: Ask your surgeon how long will be the recovery period after disc replacement. Ask him how long it will take to return to regular daily activities. Also, ask your surgeon about any special precautions that you need to take after surgery, any medications, and the walking or exercise regimen you need to follow. It is good to ask when you can resume your sports or other kinds of physical activities.

Q. Will there be any kind of pain after disc replacement and for how long?

A: Ask your surgeon about all kinds of side effects that can occur after the disc replacement. Also, ask if there will be any pain during the recovery period and for how long. Ask him/her if you can take any special measures to manage the pain.

Q. How much follow-up will I need after the procedure?

A: Ask your surgeon the level of follow-up required after disc replacement. Usually, patients follow up at four to six weeks after the disc replacement surgery, and then at three months, six months, and one year after the surgery. However, your surgeon will advise you to follow-up, up based on your specific condition.

Q. If I want to get a second opinion, who would you recommend?

A: Ask your surgeon, where you can get a second opinion regarding whether to have this surgery or not. This is to ensure that you are making the right and informed decision. You can also take an Expert Opinion from our Advisory Panel consisting of 20+ Doctors with experience in performing complex surgeries on International Patients on a day-to-day basis.

blog-detail

Should you have any other Questions Speak to Our Specialist

Schedule a Call

Best Hospital for Cervical Disc Replacement

One of the largest multi super specialty hospital located in the busy Gurgaon city, Medanta hospital is the brain child of Dr Naresh Trehan, a world renowned cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeon. Along with clinical research, education and training, he started the hospital with the aim to bring India to the highest standards of medical care. With total commitment and passion Medanta hospital‘s ethics and operations are guided. The institute has a very large area including a medica... Read More

165

PROCEDURES

62

DOCTORS in 14 Specialties

18+

Facilities & Amenities

1+

Reviews

Mount Elizabeth Hospital

Singapore,Singapore

  • Joint Commission International, or JCI

Mount Elizabeth Hospital is a multispecialty healthcare facility operated by Parkway Health. The hospital officially started its operations in 1979. Since then, it has been offering quality healthcare services to patients from all walks of life and empowering them with an easy access to high-end and world-class diagnostics, treatment, and rehabilitative services.

The Mount Elizabeth Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which is an internationally recogn... Read More

103

PROCEDURES

0

DOCTORS in 14 Specialties

6+

Facilities & Amenities

Located in Dwarka, West Delhi, Venkateshwar Hospital is a leading multi-specialty hospital in the city. The hospital boasts of state of the art infrastructure, Information Technology and dedicated medical staff that is dedicated towards providing world-class treatment to its patients. Situated in the heart of Dwarka, the hospital is reachable from all parts of the city including 10 minutes drive from Domestic and International Airport, 10 minutes drive from Palam Railway Station, 5 minutes f... Read More

158

PROCEDURES

36

DOCTORS in 13 Specialties

20+

Facilities & Amenities

2+

Reviews

Gleneagles Hospital

Singapore,Singapore

  • Joint Commission International, or JCI

Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore is a multispecialty healthcare facility, located extremely close to the center of the local shopping district. Situated close to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, this hospital is accessed by thousands of patients from within the country and abroad primarily because of its location that can be easily approached by a patient looking forward to high-quality treatment.

Gleneagles Hospital is accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), which is ... Read More

102

PROCEDURES

0

DOCTORS in 14 Specialties

6+

Facilities & Amenities

Apollo Hospitals

Hyderabad,India

  • Joint Commission International, or JCI
  • National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)

Apollo health city is one of the renowned hospitals in Hyderabad astute in covering the total range of treatments starting from addressing the ailments to complete recovery thus proving itself a total health city and not just a medical unit.The centers of excellence include cardiovascular diseases, joint diseases, Cancer, Emergency unit, Neurosciences, Eye and cosmetic surgery unit and renal diseases. They are adept in handling critical conditions and provide quality care to every patient ad... Read More

157

PROCEDURES

37

DOCTORS in 14 Specialties

20+

Facilities & Amenities

 

Consult Online with Top Orthopedic for Cervical Disc Replacement Across the World

Aashish Chaudhry

Orthopedic Surgeon, Knee Repl...

Delhi, India


Book @ USD 32

Giedrius Kvederas

Orthopedic Surgeon, Knee Repl...

Vilnius, Lithuania


Book @ USD 90

Devendra Singh Solanki

Orthopedic Surgeon

Gurgaon, India


Book @ USD 36

Halil Ibrahim Balci

Orthopedic Surgeon

Istanbul, Turkey


Book @ USD 110

Dhananjay Gupta

Orthopedic Surgeon

Delhi, India


Book @ USD 30

Anil Joshi

Orthopedic Surgeon

Noida, India


Book @ USD 30

 

Last modified on at Apr 05, 2022

Reviewed By :- Umang Singh

Guneet Bhatia

Guneet Bhatia is an avid reader, healthcare writer, and is currently Director of Patient Care Department, MediGence. She has also been featured on many prominent Healthcare portals such as IBTimes, HCIT Expert, Clinician Today.

Recent Post

Our Success Stories

Our team of healthcare experts would be happy to assist you

Get In Touch
or call

(+1) 424 283 4838