Spinal Decompression

ARTIFICIAL DISC TREATS LOWER BACK PAIN

Jumping off rooftops, running through burning buildings, crashing cars, it's all in a day's work for Jeff Gibson. "I did Batman movies, Robocop, Conspiracy Theory, War of the Worlds."

Some would call Hollywood stuntman, Jeff Gibson, a dare-devil adrenaline machine. In addition to performing life-threatening stunts as a livelihood, Jeff also skydives, races cars and scuba-dives. But, it wasn't on the movie set or on the race track that sparked Jeff's battle with excruciating back pain. It was a simple house chore.

Artificial disc replacement is a good option for those suffering from a slipped disc.

Hollywood stuntman, Jeff Gibson has spent his life jumping off rooftops, running through burning buildings and crashing cars. "I did Batman movies, Robocop, Conspiracy Theory, War of the Worlds," he says. Some would call him a dare-devil adrenaline machine. In addition to performing life-threatening stunts as a livelihood, Jeff also skydives, races cars and scuba-dives. But, it wasn't on the movie set or on the race track that sparked Jeff's battle with excruciating back pain. It was a simple house chore.

"Initially it happened by picking something up and twisting at the same time. But then car jumps and car rolls and just being thrown on to pavement those attributed to it. It had totally squished the vertebrae," said Jeff.

Jeff had a slipped disc. Over time, the pain got increasingly worse and his career was in jeopardy. Jeff needed aggressive treatment. He opted for an experimental disc replacement.

"This procedure is really revolutionary, it's not just an improvement on the old technique. This is a completely new concept to spinal surgery," said Dr. Fabien Bitan of Beth Israel Medical Center.

Dr. Bitan replaced Jeff's damaged disc with a high technology device made of metal and a movable high-density plastic center that, once implanted, is designed to help align the spine and preserve its ability to move. "We put a spinal device which is articulated and mimics the normal motion of a disc, the patient finds himself back to where he was before the process," explains Dr. Bitan.

Lumbar spinal fusion surgery, a common surgical treatment for low back pain or degenerative disc disease, is often effective in reducing pain, but it limits range of motion and may transfer extra stress to discs above and below the fusion site.

In a spinal fusion, the damaged disc is removed and vertebrae are joined together using bone grafts and metal screws or cages so that motion can no longer occur in that area of the spine.

"The artificial disc replacement is a different concept, although the procedure is exactly the same. We go in, remove the disc, clean the space but instead of putting the cages in the bone, we put this device which is an articulated device," says Dr. Bitan.

Since Jeff's surgery, the FDA has approved the procedure. And incredibly, Jeff says within 2 weeks of receiving the artificial disc, he was back to work, tearing up a Hollywood film set with a ferocious car chase.

"No pain in my back, no pain in my legs. This disc allows you to twist, bend up and back and all at the same time," says Jeff.

Dr. Bitan says his patients usually feel pain relief while in the recovery room, post-surgery. The next day most patients are up and walking around. He does caution that for the first three months following surgery, patients should avoid twisting the body. Also, while the procedure is a major breakthrough, not everyone is a candidate. Patients, in New York, New Jersey and other states, with scoliosis or osteoporosis are not eligible.

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