A
t the Texas Back Institute’s Center for Disc Replacement, we treat patients from all over the world who come to us for the latest advancements in spine surgery, including artificial disc replacements that preserve mobility.
Our world-class surgeons – led by Dr. Scott Blumenthal, Dr. Richard Guyer, Dr. Jessica Shellock, and Dr. Jack Zigler – have performed more than 3000 artificial disc replacements of more than 14 different types at Texas Back Institute, beginning with the first ADR procedure performed in the United States.
T
exas Back Institute has successfully performed ADR procedures on patients who would otherwise have traveled to Europe or Asia for surgery. These patients have the comfort of a United States surgeon who is available for them for their postoperative care, a real-life concern when patients choose medical tourism options and then develop a postoperative complication.
D
rs. Blumenthal, Guyer and Zigler published landmark papers on the two- and five-year follow-up results of TDR. Texas Back Institute surgeons continue to be at the forefront of TDR advancements, participating as investigators in several FDA-regulated trials, conducting clinical research on new lumbar and cervical TDRs. Additionally, Drs. Blumenthal, Guyer and Zigler teach their surgical techniques to other spine
surgeons all over the world. They regularly lecture internationally on the results of lumbar and cervical ADR.
T
exas Back Institute’s experience with artificial disc replacement began in the late 1980s when, at the direction of Dr. Guyer, a medical team was sent to Germany to research and better understand the Charité technology in use there. Drs. Blumenthal and Guyer played leadership roles in the clinical trial of the Charité device in the United States. As part of a FDA-regulated trial, Dr. Blumenthal performed the first total disc replacement (TDR) procedure in the United States with this device, at Texas Back Institute, in March 2000. Dr. Guyer performed the third Charité device procedure in the country. In October 2001, Dr. Zigler performed the first ProDisc-L lumbar ADR in the United States.
U
nmatched by any other clinic in the United States, Texas Back Institute’s Center for Disc Replacement is at the forefront of artificial disc expertise: world-recognized surgeons, internationally cost-competitive treatments, the longest experience with disc replacement in the United States, leadership in innovation and research, training of spine surgeons who now practice throughout the country, teaching physicians all over the world, and more than 3000 ADR’s procedures performed.