AF Doctors Perform Alternative Back Surgery

Doctors at Wilford Hall Medical Center performed a total-disc arthroplasty March 7. It was the first of its kind to be performed at any Air Force medical center. Maj. (Dr.) Steven Cyr, chief of orthopedic spine surgery, successfully removed and replaced a spinal disc from Tech. Sgt. Loren Dick. Developed in Europe nearly 17 years ago, the procedure recently underwent a two-year clinical trial in America. The Food and Drug Administration approved it in October. Previously, the standard for lower-back surgery has been spinal fusions, Dr. Cyr said. Airmen who undergo spine fusion are limited in activity and normally do not return to functional duty for at least three months. With total disc replacement, patients don’t have to wear a brace, they return to active duty within a week or two, their restrictions are not as heavy, and in most cases they experience less back pain, said Cyr.