Christopher Good, MD, debuted a two-level lumbar disc replacement in the Washington, D.C., area, according to a June 30 news release.
Dr. Good, of Reston-based Virginia Spine Institute, performed the surgery June 25 on a patient who was living with back pain for more than 10 years. He used the ActiveL artificial disc, which has been used on one and two-level disc replacements.
The unnamed patient previously tried microsurgeries and tried stem cell treatment in South America. Typically the patient would undergo a two-level spinal fusion, which would limit movement in the lower back. However, he had a family history of failed spinal fusions and wanted to explore other options.
"Being able to offer a two-level lumbar disc replacement to a young healthy patient as an alternative to a spinal fusion offers significant benefits to that patient in the future both improving flexibility of the spine and hopefully also lowering the risk for additional spinal surgeries," Dr. Good said.