Disc Replacement

Preparation
Procedure
Recovery

Preparation

If you suffer from chronic low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease (DDD) that does not respond to other non-surgical therapies, you may be eligible for artificial disc replacement surgery. However, this procedure is not recommended for everyone. Based on your symptoms, your doctor will determine the best course of treatment for you.

Artificial disc replacement may be recommended for patients between the ages of 18 and 60 with DDD at one or two levels of the spine whose condition has not responded to at least six previous months of non-surgical therapy. Patients who have other spinal abnormalities such as spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and scoliosis are usually not candidates for this surgery. Patients with osteoporosis may not have strong enough bone to support a disc replacement. Based on a series of tests, your doctor will determine if artificial disc replacement surgery is an option for surgery and the most effective treatment for your condition.

Before artificial disc replacement, your doctor will discuss the procedure with you in detail, answering any questions you may have. Your doctor will also inform you of any special requirements that need to be completed before your surgery.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007