Dr. Richard Wohns, JD, MBA, Founder and President of NeoSpine and Microsurgical Spine Center, performed the first-ever two-level cervical artificial disc replacement surgery in the Northwest and one of the first in the United States, utilizing the recently FDA approved Mobi-C® Cervical Disc Prosthesis.
“We are proud to be the first to perform this innovative procedure in the region,” said Dr. Wohns. “The FDA-approved two-level disc replacement is a natural progression from single-level artificial disc replacements, which have been very successful for our patients.”
This groundbreaking procedure replaced two cervical discs rather than the traditional cervical fusion procedure, to alleviate neck pain, as well as numbness, tingling and weakness in the arms, caused by degenerative disc disease or disc herniation.
The Mobi-C Cervical Disc Prosthesis, or artificial disc replacement, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is the only FDA-approved disc replacement device for two levels. The implant consists of two metal endplates and a plastic insert. The device is placed between two adjacent neck bones (cervical vertebrae) to replace the diseased discs and to stabilize the spine. The two-level disc replacement is done in place of a spinal fusion procedure. The end goal of the surgery is pain relief and improved function of the cervical spine for the patient.
“Artificial disc replacement has a lower chance than fusion of leading to degeneration of adjacent discs. It also enables patients with degenerative spine conditions to get back to normal activities faster than those with spinal fusion surgery,” added Dr. Wohns.
About NeoSpine
With offices in Seattle, Puyallup and Poulsbo, Washington, NeoSpine is a Spinal Surgery and Pain Medicine Specialty Private Practice. They are partnered with Microsurgical Spine Center, an ambulatory surgery center, providing minimally invasive and other spine surgery procedures on an outpatient basis, as well as pain management. NeoSpine physicians offer a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments for back and neck pain, spine disease and conditions such as disc herniations, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, failed spine surgery, and spinal stenosis. The Center’s board-certified physicians are experts in their field and take an individualized approach to patient care. Stem cell injection is their latest treatment offering. For more information please visit: www.neospine.net.
About Mobi-C® Cervical Disc Prosthesis
The Mobi-C® Cervical Disc (Mobi-C) has been designed for cervical disc replacement to restore segmental motion and disc height. The components of Mobi-C include superior and inferior Cobalt Chromium alloy endplates coated with plasma sprayed Titanium and hydroxyapatite coating, and a polyethylene mobile bearing insert. The controlled mobility of the patented mobile core is the foundation of Mobi-C, encouraging height restoration and respect of the instantaneous axis of rotation for a return to physiological mobility of the spinal segment.
An investigational device exemption (IDE) study of Mobi-C for both one- and two-level cervical intervertebral disc replacement has been completed in the United States. Mobi-C is the first cervical disc FDA approved for one- and two-level indications. For more information please visit: http://www.cervicaldisc.com/
