Dr. Lieberman: Should I have ACDF or an artificial disc replacement surgery?

[@movingloz]

Thanks 🙏 so much for all of that info and your input.

[@hip-replacementinfo6511]

You are so welcome!

[@Slaneous]

A similar study for the lumbar spine would be interesting to see too.

[@hip-replacementinfo6511]

Thanks for the suggestion! Great idea.

[@anitahendrix7573]

good info. What about lumbar . disc replacement as opposed to fusion.

[@hbsoc200]

Hi doctor. I had a disc replacement a year ago on C5-C6 but my surgeron was supposed to do both C5-C6 & C4-C5. Why they didnt do both, i dont know but now they want to do C5-C4 disc replacement on C5-C4 disc and ACDF at the same time. Is that possible to do both? Please let me know your thoughts

[@marichudubyk6522]

Dr. How can I send my mri . I'm still suffering pain on my back , sciatica, weakness for more than a yr. I really advice.

[@marichudubyk6522]

How can I send my mri.

[@hip-replacementinfo6511]

Call my assistant Phebe at 602 256 2525. I hope we can help.

[@David-xl9uv]

Dr what’s your opinion of the Mobi-C. I have a herniated disc between c6 and C7. Only saw One surgeon after some conventional medicine/steroids and of course they did the MRI. The pain in my neck and shoulder has gone away but I still have significant weakness and tingling in my left arm as well as a little bit shaky when I go to sit stuff down on the counter which is strange. The surgeon I saw seem to only pointing out all of the negative stuff about a fusion and I asked him if there were any alternatives and he said no but doing research I heard and know that Elon Musk had the Mobi C Artificial disc. Should I get a second opinion considering this was a very young doctor and he didn’t have very good bedside manner ha ha. I can’t go to the gym now because I am afraid to do any further damage and I am always very active and he made it sound like after refusion I would never be able to do anything I wanted to again and I am 42 years old

[@hip-replacementinfo6511]

MobiC is a great artificial disc, but fusion is the more traditional option. If your surgeon is out of step with how you feel, by all means get a second opinion.

[@michaeldeegan3560]

Elon Musk ADR failed

[@DrHenryDimaano]

Glad to know that doing a fusion doesn't significantly increase the risk of adjacent disc syndrome. At least, not in the cervical spine; and not for single level fusion. (I do wonder if ADS risks are still comparable for 2-level fusions vs 2-level disc replacements though.) This does make me ask: would motion-sparing decompression using endoscopic techniques be comparable to disc replacement in terms of patient satisfaction, reoperation risk, ADS risk?.. And... Given that I practice in a third-world country with a lousy gov't health insurance system, I'd have to wonder about the cost differences as compared with benefits & risks of each treatment option. Here in my country, patients have to consider the total cost of care, especially where implants are concerned (because the insurance system & HMOs don't cover for the cost of implants).

[@hip-replacementinfo6511]

Great points. Thanks for sharing. Where are you?

[@DrHenryDimaano]

I practice in the Philippines. Up until 2018, I was doing mostly TLIFs and ACDFs. But after discovering UBE spine surgery in South Korea in 2019, I haven't needed to do a single fusion surgery for patients without instability symptoms.

[@timothymccabe8505]

I’m having acdf on 6/16. I’m not a candidate for artificial disks. Arthritis and degenerate disc disease. I’m really concerned about another surgery years kater

[@timothymccabe8505]

Later. And does this adjacent disk disease stop at c7? Or does it continue into t1? I have nightmares I’ll become the tin man with 0 movement.

[@hip-replacementinfo6511]

The ribs stabilize the thoracic spine, so for the most part the adjacent level degeneration stops at T1.

[@georgefarrington895]

What about elbows ?

[@hip-replacementinfo6511]

Good question. I don't know of an elbow replacement. But we now have ankle. I suspect elbow and wrist are next.

[@aliciaanderson3039]

Thanks so much I feel so much better that was excellent info , but I might just call u

[@hip-replacementinfo6511]

Please do! I'd love to have you on my youtube show. You can sign up or submit a question by video here: bestpracticehealth.tv/