In May, Alvin Marcovici, MD, a Southcoast neurosurgeon, performed one of the first artificial disc replacements in New England at Charlton Memorial Hospital.

When Discs Wear
Many people who suffer from low back pain have degenerative disc disease, Dr. Marcovici said. This occurs when discs in the spine wear out or bulge.

“When medical treatments fail to help those with severe disc disease, the standard surgery is spinal fusion,” he said. That operation involves the removal of a troublesome disc and joining together sections of the spine.

As an alternative to spinal fusion, Southcoast now offers artificial disc replacement. “This innovative procedure may be an especially good choice for younger people, who are more likely to have only one bad disc,” Dr. Marcovici said.

Dr. Marcovici uses the CHARITÉ Artificial Disc, which was approved last October by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Benefits to Disc Replacement
The new surgery offers many advantages to spinal fusion, Dr. Marcovici said. “People who have an artificial disc replacement have a smaller incision, less pain, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker recovery,” he said. “They also maintain the flexibility of the spine, which is lost with a spinal fusion.

“Men and women should have significant improvement in back pain after a disc replacement.”