Scott Blumenthal, MD, was featured in a Plano Star Courier report describing a successful artificial disc replacement procedure he performed for a Vietnam Veteran.
Dr. Blumenthal, a surgeon at Texas Back Institute, performed the first artificial disc replacement in the United States in 2000 and has since performed thousands of artificial disc replacements. Recently, Dr. Blumenthal performed the procedure for James Harris, a retired police officer, Vietnam Veteran and avid outdoorsman who had pain in his shoulder and hands but didn't experience relief after shoulder surgeries.
When a spinal condition was identified, Mr. Harris was scheduled for a fusion, but his insurance company didn't cover the procedure, according to the report. After research connected him with Dr. Blumenthal, Mr. Harris opted for a disc replacement procedure. Mr. Harris opted to pay for the procedure after the insurance company refused. Dr. Blumenthal implanted the Mobi-C artificial disc from LDR, which is FDA-approved for one- and two-level procedures.
Mr. Harris reported being pain-free after the procedure and returning to his normal activities. Dr. Blumenthal is a leader of Texas Back Institute's Center for Disc Replacement, which includes clinical concierge services.