For most patients, an artificial disc replacement will last an average of 70 years without the need for a revision artificial disc replacement.
Long-term complications include:
problems with the adjacent vertebrae. wearing out of the prosthesis. lack of pain relief (or worsening of symptoms) failure of the surgery, which may require further surgery or a different type of surgery such as (spinal fusion).
According to the FDA, however, this surgery has a success rate of more than 90%. Unlike spinal fusion surgery, which has a success rate of 70 to 90%, artificial disc replacement surgery for the cervical or lumbar spine has over 90%, making it a more effective and reliable procedure.
Why L5-S1 Disc Replacement is Successful. There is good news for patients about to undergo an L5-S1 disc replacement procedure: this operation has a high success rate. In a study of 946 patients who went through lumbar total disc replacement, satisfaction rates ranged from 75.5% to 93.3%.
Daily Living
After cervical disc replacement surgery, most people can return to a life with minimal to no neck pain. In other words, the things you have lost because of chronic neck pain may be yours once again.
The greatest benefit of artificial disc replacement surgery is that it allows your spine to bend, twist, and flex normally. Unlike spinal fusion, which limits the movement of your spine by fusing two vertebrae together, disc replacement only affects the one vertebral set that houses the diseased disk.
Some of the potential risks of this surgery include: Infection of the artificial disk or the area around it. Dislocation or dislodging of the artificial disk. Implant failure or fracture (break)
Artificial disc replacement offers some advantages over spinal fusion. The biggest advantage is that disc replacement preserves motion and mobility in the spine while fusion does not. This is especially important for people who want to live active and not just pain-free lives.
An artificial disc can migrate or move out of its intended position. This can cause pain, decreased range of spinal motion, and possibly require a second surgery. The rate of disc migration happening appears to be about 2 to 3 times in every 100 patients.
Avoid bending at all after a lumbar fusion if possible, as bending or twisting can interfere with the way the fusion heals and even damage the work that was done.
The average cost in Australian dollars for a surgical episode was $46,000 for a spinal fusion and $20,000 for a decompression. Two years post-fusion, only 19 % of people had returned to work at full capacity; 39 % after decompression.
A small incision is made in the front of the neck usually only 3-4 centremetres long. No significant muscle is cut during the approach to the spine so there is minimal post-operative pain. It is common to have a sore throat and some mild discomfort with swallowing after the surgery. This usually settles over 2-3 days.
Patients who have other spinal abnormalities such as spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and scoliosis are usually not candidates for this surgery. Patients with osteoporosis may not have strong enough bone to support a disc replacement.
How Many Years Does a Spinal Fusion Last? Spinal fusion is intended to last for life, as the results are permanent. Many spinal fusion patients experience improved pain and mobility for many years after the surgery.
For patients suffering from more than one damaged spinal discs, multi-level disc replacement can provide pain relief while in the past only replace a single disc could be replaced. Spinal discs are the soft cushions between the bones of your spine, known as the vertebrae, which allow for a smooth range of motion.
The two outer titanium plates have fixation keels that anchor the artificial disc into the vertebral bone and are coated with a titanium plasma spray to help promote integration with bone. The sheath surrounds the artificial nucleus and artificial annulus, presumably to keep out bone and other debris.
At the same time, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy is more wear-resistant than titanium. All modern artificial cervical disc prostheses are safe and compatible with postoperative MRI evaluation.
Recovery from lumbar artificial disc replacement generally lasts 3 months while the spine adjusts to the implanted device and the body recovers from surgery.
The clinical success rate was 86% in 60 patients at 6 months and 90% in 30 patients at 1 year, with motion preservation in all patients and no evidence of device migration. Although many subsequent studies have reported good results over time, long-term follow-up results have exposed various problems.
Allows greater movement: Disc replacements are designed to function like your body's natural discs. This may enable greater spine mobility and allow you to move as you would normally. Cervical fusion, on the other hand, welds bones together and eliminates movement in the affected area of the spine.
In several documented cases, the artificial disc slipped out of place for undetermined reasons, which is a significant cause for concern. In addition to dislocation or migration, there is also concern about the long-term wear of the metal.
Patients who have undergone artificial disc replacement are generally recommended to avoid heavy lifting, laborious work, and impact sports.
In general, good candidates for disk replacement have the following characteristics: Back pain caused by one or two problematic (arthritic) intervertebral disks in the lumbar spine. No significant facet joint disease or bony compression on spinal nerves. Body size that is not excessively overweight.