my husband needs disc replacement, how is this done, do not want fusion. He is 70 and in a lot of pain.?

Question

not so much details added, just wondering if maybe acupunture might help rather than surgery

Answer 1

There is recent studies that suggest that conservative measures had no different outcome than surgical treatment.
There are many ways to do back surgery. Discectomy, laminectomy, fusion. Which technique and method is highly variable from surgeon to a surgeon. Conservative measures includes reverse traction, physical therapy. Acupuncture may not be too good.
If you are going to do surgery as a last resort, get an opinion from a neurosurgeon who will do the least necessary surgical invasion of your back to relieve the pain. Their outcomes are better than orthopedic surgeons

Answer 2

I am so sorry for the both of you. Living with chronic pain affects all parties involved. I agree that you should ask your Dr. as many questions as necessary until you both feel satisified. It never hurts to get a second opinion. I am in somewhat the same boat, the difference is that I am not a good candidate for surgery due to the fact that my back is such a mess that fusion would eliminate my ability to bend. I am not sure about the disc replacement, many people I have talked to say that surgery has made it worse. Others swear by it. It all comes down to your own personal feelings, everyone has a different story. God bless you both.

Answer 3

Artificial disk replacement has shown a lot of promise -- it definitey appears to be better for the patient than a fusion. Essentially, what they do in a disk replacement is exactly what it sounds like -- they take out the old disk and they replace it with a new, artificial one.

That said, this is still a relatively new procedure -- fusion was the gold standard for years and years, with artificial disks really only starting to be considered a serious alternative recently (in the mid- to late-90's). For that reason, I'd encourage you to go back to your husband's doctor or surgeon and ask THEM these questions. You should get more than one opinion before deciding on what to do (that is, talk to more than one surgeon).

You should also make sure to ask your doctor whether he or she thinks the surgery is likely to make a significant difference in your husband's pain. There's been some debate about the use of back surgery to treat disk problems to begin with -- many studies have shown patients who have gotten surgery don't seem to fair all that much better than patients who just got long-term physical therapy and pain management assistance. These are all things you will need to discuss with your doctor. I wish you the best of luck!