Our spines are nothing short of incredible. They enable us to stand, walk, run, twist, bend, and savor our favorite activities, from gardening or playing soccer to dancing the tango.
Your discs — the gel-filled structures between your vertebrae — act as your spine’s shock absorbers, and provide both spinal stability and support for your weight and movement.
Your discs are about 80% water when you’re born, but as you age, they dry out, become brittle, and are subject to wear-and-tear. In turn, they become vulnerable to a host of problems, including degenerative disc disease, herniation, and more.
This debilitation limits your movement, too, and you may have trouble walking, standing for long periods, or engaging in your favorite activities, such as sports.
When a disc or discs become too worn down and damaged, disc replacement surgery — removing your disc and replacing it with a highly sophisticated prosthetic disc — is often the solution.
At Ventura Neurosurgery in Midtown, Ventura, California, Dr. David Westra and Dr. Katherine Wagner are highly skilled at performing disc replacement, so patients can enjoy living life free from disc pain and once again participate in the activities they love.
Initially, we use more conservative treatments for degenerative disc disease-related pain and mobility problems, such as physical therapy and spinal injections. If those are unsuccessful at providing relief, disc replacement may be your smartest option.
During the procedure, your Ventura Neurosurgery provider accesses your spine through the approach that’s safest and most effective for your condition, then removes the damaged disc and places the prosthetic replacement.
Once they’ve reached your targeted treatment area, they remove your damaged disc, make any necessary spinal repairs to optimize your disc space, and place the new prosthetic disc.
Though every patient who opts for disc replacement surgery wants to know exactly how things will go on surgery day, they’re also interested in how recovery will go and what they can do to support it.
The Ventura Neurosurgery team will perform minimally invasive disc replacement surgery if at all possible. This means they only need to make several small incisions, unlike traditional open surgery, which requires a single large incision. They use specially designed instruments to do their work.
Minimally invasive procedures offer multiple benefits, including:
Even knowing these advantages, though, you still may be wondering what the nuts and bolts of recovery will be, like time frame, recommended self-care strategies, and more.
Once your disc replacement surgery is complete, you’ll stay in the hospital one or two nights. If you have minimally invasive surgery, your return home will likely be sooner. Your provider will prescribe pain medication so your comfort can be well-managed.
We counsel you on what activities are safe and which you should avoid as you recover at home. It’s also smart to arrange help before your surgery to prepare for your recovery time.
For example, friends or family can bring meals you can freeze for when you need them, and you can make some changes at home to allow for easier, safer movement, like clearing clutter and removing potential tripping hazards, like throw rugs.
Physical therapy is critical to your recovery as well. It helps you build your strength and flexibility so you can do more as time passes. You’ll also work on maximizing your range of motion. This is all to return you to your normal pre-surgery activities.
Our Ventura Neurosurgery team is here for you before, during, and after your disc replacement surgery, so you’ll never feel alone or be left wondering what your next step should be. We’re happy to address all your questions and concerns.
If persistent disc pain and movement challenges have been going on for too long, don’t delay. Contact our office at 805-590-4365 to schedule an appointment to learn more or reach out to us via our website.
