REVOLUTIONARY ARTIFICIAL DISC REDUCES BACK PAIN,
RESTORES FUNCTION, KEEPS MOTION

CHARITÉ™ Artificial Disc, First Artificial Disc Ever Available in U.S. Now at
Saint Margaret Mercy

Offers New Way to Treat Low Back Pain

DYER – For more than nearly two years Vincent Hinton, 36, was living with back pain so severe that even walking was a struggle.
“The pain was constant and intense. It became difficult to walk, sit or stand for periods of time. The pain was unbearable from sunup to sundown. On a scale of one to ten, it was between seven and eight every day,” said Hinton.
Hinton tried epidural steroid injections and had also undergone endoscopic laser discectomy, which offered relief for a little while and even allowed him to return to work. “After a while, it flared up again. It was clear I needed more treatment for my herniated disc. I had to start all over again.”
Hinton resisted spinal fusion surgery, a common treatment for chronic low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease. Spinal fusion joins vertebrae together using bone grafts so that motion no longer occurs between them.
While most patients report relief from pain after spinal fusion surgery, the surgery often robs them of flexibility and range of motion.
Hinton’s physician referred him to Dr. Patrick Sweeney to find out if he was a candidate for artificial disc replacement. He was.
Instead of fusion, doctors at Saint Margaret Mercy, led by Dr. Patrick Sweeney, removed Hinton’s damaged disc and replaced it with the new CHARITÉ Artificial Disc, a high-tech device made of two metallic endplates and a movable high-density plastic center. Dr. Sweeney is a board certified orthopedic surgeon on staff at Saint Margaret Mercy. Hinton’s surgery was the first artificial disc replacement procedure at Saint Margaret Mercy.
In clinical trials comparing artificial disc replacement to spinal fusion surgery, CHARITÉ Artificial Disc patients maintained or improved their range of motion and experienced improvements in pain. There were no significant differences in complications.
The CHARITÉ™ Artificial Disc is the first artificial disc on the U.S. market.
After just over two days in the hospital, Hinton started physical therapy and his healing process. Bending and moving are no longer a painful chore or impossibility.
“The disc gave me back my range of motion. The pain is minimal compared to what it was and I can move around more freely without an extensive degree of pain,” said Hinton.
Typically, two surgeons work together in the operation. A general surgeon approaches the spine through an incision in the abdomen and carefully moves blood vessels and internal organs out of the way to provide access to the spine. A spine surgeon then uses special tools to remove the damaged disc and creates a space between two vertebrae for the implantation of the artificial disc. The procedure generally takes about one to two hours. Dr. Sweeney performed Hinton’s surgery with Dr. Russell Pellar, board-certified general surgeon on staff at Saint Margaret Mercy.
While artificial replacements are commonly used in hips and knees, this is the first FDA approval of such a device for spinal discs.
Artificial disc replacement is not for everyone. As with any major surgery, there are possible complications that can occur including unresolved pain, allergic reactions, bladder problems and/or infection. An appropriate referral should be made to find out if artificial disc replacement is right for your patient.
About 65 million Americans suffer from low back pain every year, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). Americans spend about $50 billion each year on low back pain, the most common cause of job-related disability and lost workdays. More than 12 million people are reported to have degenerative disc disease.
Saint Margaret Mercy, founded in 1898 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, is an 863-bed hospital with campuses in Hammond and Dyer, Ind. Saint Margaret Mercy is part of a network of 12 growing hospital campuses in Indiana and Illinois owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc.