Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery Offered at Mercy in Baltimore

Mercy Medical Center, in Baltimore, Maryland, offers comprehensive care for a wide range of spine conditions, including physician expertise provided by orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons.

Mercy's team provides artificial disc replacement, a procedure which uses a prosthetic disc to replace a painful disc and relieve back pain due to degenerative disc disease or disc herniation. When performed in the neck area, this procedure is know as cervical disc replacement surgery. Disc replacement surgery may be offered as an alternative to traditional spinal fusion. 

What is Artificial Disc Replacement?

Spinal discs act as small cushions between each bone of the spine (called vertebrae). They also aid in the flexibility and movement of the spinal column. As a result of the natural aging process or trauma from an accident, the spinal discs can become weak and tear. This is known as degenerative disc disease. 

Part of the disc may bulge and and pinch a nerve or the spinal cord (called disc herniation) causing pain, weakness or tingling in the arms and hands. To reduce pain and restore mobility spine surgeons can insert an artificial implant into the spine to replace the affected disc. 

The surgical procedure to replace the diseased disc in the cervical spine (neck area) is known as cervical disc replacement surgery. Cervical disc replacement surgery allows for more natural motion within the neck and, for some patients, may be an alternative to spinal fusion, in which two vertebrae are united into one piece.

How is Artificial Disc Replacement performed?

During surgery, an incision is made to expose the area of the spine in need of repair and the damaged disc is removed. The surgeon will then replace the empty space between the vertebrae with the implant consisting of a plastic bearing sandwiched between two metal plates. The bone on either side will eventually grow over and around the plates. When possible, Mercy's surgeons utilize minimally invasive procedures for disc replacement surgery.

Who should receive Artificial Disc Replacement? 

Patients with persistent symptoms caused by disc herniation and degenerative disc disease may be candidates for disc replacement surgery.

Patients with disc herniation and degenerative disc disease may experience:

• Chronic neck pain and stiffness
• Tingling in the arms and hands
• Pain that radiates into the shoulder or arms
• Weakness in the shoulders, arms or hands

A thorough examination and consultation with an experienced spine surgeon will help determine if artificial disc replacement is the best course of treatment for your condition.