With rapid increase in spine related problems, St. Philomena's Hospital and National University Singapore organized a live demonstration of 'Total Disc Replacement' (TDR) surgery to treat cervical disc prolapse.

The revolutionary new surgical treatment for the spine uses cutting edge technology and advanced materials to recreate the actions of a normal inter-vertebral disc, replacing the diseased one. This is the newest generation artificial disc which moves in all three axes, complements the movements of the rest of the spine and lasts for a lifetime. In addition, it does not react adversely with body tissues. It is not a life-threatening major surgery which requires the insertion of an artificial disc.

"When a Disc Prolapse happens, the jelly-like nucleus between two adjacent spinal bones bursts out through its enclosure, pressing against the spinal cord or nerves. Crippling pain, or even loss of power of one or more limbs, can lead to a spinal surgery", said Dr. Sujay Rao, Head, Dept. of Neurosurgery and Paediatric Neurosurgery, St. Philomena's Hospital Bangalore.

Dr. Rao has already carried out several successful Total Disc Implants at the St. Philomena's Hospital.

"After TDR, the spine shows excellent mobility on par with the erstwhile normal disc and the patient practically cannot tell the difference from the real one. Over the years, such patients may expect less wear and tear of the neighbouring segments of the spine, and reduced risk of accelerated disc disease or spondylotic degeneration at other levels", said Dr Hee Hwan Tak, specialist spine surgeon, National University Hospital Singapore. "This not only allows young patients to retain a physically active lifestyle, but also protect the rest of the spine," he added.

Under the traditional approach, surgeons scoop out the entire soft nucleus inside the disc or place a bone graft in the empty disc space between the two bones. Either way, over time, the two adjacent bones may join with each other in a natural process called Fusion, after which no further movement is possible at that level of the spine.

When a segment of the spine becomes immobile, the part immediately above and below has to work harder in order to compensate for the stiff portion. The abnormal stresses acting on these areas may actually cause new slipped discs to appear above or below the operated area. TDR addresses this by maintaining normal mobility, stated Dr. Rao.