Most people don’t expect to deal with chronic back pain in their early 30s, but as a new father, Kyle Spooner found that he couldn’t even bend down to pick up his infant twins. Kyle had injured himself at age 29 while moving a garden fountain at home, and after 18 months of trying physical therapy, cortisone shots and acupuncture, he still had to use pain medication to get through his days. He had already cut back on socializing and weekend golfing, and the birth of his twins made him decide that a life in pain is no way to live.

His father was a former Texas Back Institute (TBI) patient who had a great experience with TBI, so Kyle asked his own doctor for a referral. Kyle was eligible to participate in TBI’s clinical trial of the Charité artificial disc being evaluated for approval in the United States. Kyle discussed the trial with orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Scott Blumenthal, studied the technology (already used successfully in Europe) and decided it was his best option for optimal relief.

Kyle became the first Charité disc patient in the United States, undergoing surgery in March 2000. He felt immediate relief. After only three days in the hospital, he recovered at home and was back at work in two weeks. Best of all, he was able to pick up his six-month-old twins. For the past seven years – during which the Charité disc was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Kyle has been skiing, golfing and experiencing the same quality of life he had before his injury.

Kyle credits Dr. Blumenthal and TBI, and he recommends them to anyone experiencing back pain. “I’m a 100% believer in TBI,” he said. “The surgery has done wonders for me – it was very much a life-changing event.”