Hello All,

I am new to this site. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with artificial disc. I have a fusion with rods and screws from L5-S1. I also have a fusion at C6-C7. Today I was at the neurosurgeon after I developed new pain and numbness. The latest MRI shows that I have severe problems from C2 thru C6. Not counting problems at the T levels.

I have great confidence in this surgeon as he did my prior neck fusion 11 years ago and my nephew's nine hour brain surgery earlier this year. Ten days after my first neck fusion I was suba diving in the Bahamas. My surgeon told me that he wanted to think about my problems for a few days and would give me a call later this week. He wanted to discuss my case with his partners. He said that there are really five options.

1) Just fuse C5-C6 and see how much longer we could hold off on the others. (He says I really do not want my entire next fused and want to help me avoid that).

2) Fuse C3-C7 and save C2-C3 for later. Want to avoid this option as I want to be able to turn my head).

3) The next option was no fusion at all but instead to split the back of my neck open and make the spinal canal larger to help avoid the cord compression due to the bad discs (again trying to avoid fusing the entire neck).

4) Do nothing and see if the pain goes away after a while. He said this would not cure anything but may help delay fusions.

5) Finally he mentioned that there have been some experiments the past few years with artifical discs. He stated that it is still deem experimental and that normally they would only replace one disc with an artifical. However, he will check to see if I might be a candidate for multiple artifical disc replacements.

This option is interesting to me verses a fusion as I may allow me to delay the rods and screws for a longer period of time.

Do any of you have experience with artifical disc?

Thanks..............Chris