Wockhardt Hospitals have successfully performed a total disc replacement of the cervical spine. Through the new technique, an artificial disc replaces the degenerated disc and allows movement at that level.

The condition, which is painful for the patient but the team of doctors at Wockhardt, restored the natural distance between two vertebrae through a total disc replacement. The Prestige LP Cervical Disc was implanted to ensure maximum motion and have long lasting effects.

The approach is advantageous because it prevents disc degeneration and helps in preserving the disc above and below the problematic disc. It also prevents wear and tear of the existing disc," stated Dr DV Rajakumar, Neurosurgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals.

The patient, Gautam Kher, 26 year-old software engineer, suffered Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) which had only conventional treatment options like pain killers, exercise therapy and surgery, which involved the removal of the degenerated disc and fusion (welding) of the adjacent discs at that level.
"The patient experienced sudden weakness in the right shoulder and elbow, prevented movement and this was due to nerve compression in the cervical spine due to disc degeneration.

The surgery could be considered as an innovative approach as the technology is not easily available to have a disc replacement that could last for a long time and provide the range of motion that mimics what one has in the natural spine."

Age and current lifestyles contribute to the inter-vertebral discs losing flexibility, elasticity and shock absorbing characteristics. The ligaments that surround the disc become brittle and they are easily torn. At the same time, the soft gel-like centre of the disc starts to dry out and shrink. As a result, people complain of neck pain and stiffness, especially towards the end of the day.

Dr Rajakumar informed that approximately fifty per cent of the population suffers degenerative changes in the cervical spine by the 50. However, the disease is increasingly rising in the young because of prolonged hours of poor posture causing cervical discogenic pain. Additionally, improper posture can cause the discs that act as shock absorbers between the vertebral bodies of the cervical spine to wear out prematurely.