Beaufort Memorial says new procedure can be ‘new lease on life’ for those with neck pain

Beaufort Memorial Hospital is offering what it’s describing as a breakthrough spine procedure that can alleviate severe neck pain without sacrificing mobility.

The FDA-approved procedure, which is performed outpatient, involves removing a damaged disc and replacing it with an artificial disc.

Dr. B. Andrew Castro is the only surgeon in Beaufort County performing the disc replacement surgery, according to the hospital.

“There’s very little downside, very little blood loss and you can usually be home the same day,” Castro said in a news release.

Previously, the preferred method for treating chronic neck and nerve pain was a process called fusion, which involves inserting some material between the two spinal bones, connecting the bones, minimizing movement between them and reducing stress on the nerve, according to the hospital.

With fusion, the vertebrae is immobilized with a plate, which requires a hard collar for four to six weeks after the surgery. While fusion can take pressure off the nerve roots and spinal cord, it results in diminished movement because of the immobilization of the vertebrae.

The new cervical disc replacement begins with a small incision on the front of the neck. State-of-the-art technology allows the surgeon to access the spinal column, remove the problem disc and replace it with a cervical disc prosthesis. The artificial disc is inserted between two healthy vertebrae. The precision engineering of the disc replacement gives almost the full range of motion of a healthy disc.

Castro, a member of the Beaufort Memorial Advanced Orthopedics and Spine Program team who sees patients at BOSS Orthopaedics in Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, performed the first cervical disc replacement surgery at Beaufort Memorial, the only location between Savannah and Charleston where the surgery is being performed, Beaufort Memorial said.

Cervical disc replacement is more suitable for a younger patient with a relatively healthy disc herniation, as opposed to an older patient with a degenerative disc, Castro said.

“But for those who fit the bill, this cutting-edge procedure can give people suffering chronic neck pain a new lease on life, with shorter recovery and a greater range of motion,” Castro said.

Chronic neck and nerve pain are some of the most-common problems addressed through spine surgery, Castro said.

While pain may begin in the neck, it can radiate across the shoulders and down the arms, Castro said. The source of the problem is the discs between the vertebrae, which absorb shock from stress, poor posture and too much times spent before computer screens, Castro said.

To learn more about neck pain treatment, visit BeaufortMemorial.org/NeckPain.