Todd Lanman, MD, performed a new spinal procedure that removes a patient's prior fusion in the neck and replaces the fusion with an artificial disc.
Here are five highlights:
1. By performing the surgery, Dr. Lanman became the first spine surgeon to restore movement in a patients' neck.
2. Dr. Lanman performed the new procedure on a female golfer. The patient had three fused discs in her neck. After Dr. Lanman replaced the fusion with an artificial disc, the patient was able to return to golfing.
3. Since performing the first procedure, Dr. Lanman has operated on 10 other patients who have regained motion postoperatively.
4. Dr. Lanman carefully selects patients for this procedure. Patients who have experienced prior fusion surgeries in their neck where the facet joints are still open on CT Scan may be candidates for this procedure. At two-year follow-ups, Dr. Lanman has noticed significant improvements in outcomes.
5. The founder of Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Lanman Spinal Neurosurgery, Dr. Lanman has been practicing for more than 25 years.