Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1472295
16 SPINE Why this spine surgeon says the future is bright for artificial disc replacements By Ariana Portalatin A s designs improve and the cost advantages become clear, patients and providers may in the future choose artificial disc replacements over other kinds of surgeries, according to Jack Zi- gler, MD. Dr. Zigler is an orthopedic spine surgeon and co- director of the Center for Disc Replacement at the Texas Back Institute in Plano. Question: How do you think lumbar disc replace- ment will evolve in the future? Dr. Jack Zigler: I think that lumbar disc replacement is going to be more generally used as time goes on. e payers of the future, whoever they are, whether it's a single payer in the government, or a consolidation of insurance companies or hospital systems, whoever is controlling the healthcare dollar is ultimately going to see a significant decrease in the need for expensive spinal reoperations is in the public good. Reoperation is one of the largest drivers of healthcare economics, so by cutting down the necessity for additional sur- gery, with the data that we've been able to generate, I think it's going to be a no-brainer for the powers who are controlling the healthcare dollar to recommend disc replacement over fusion. So I think in the future there's going to be even a bigger role for disc replace- ment than we've seen before. Lastly, I think there are going to be evolutionary designs in implant designs, in material science and instrumentation. e discs of the future will be even better than the ones we have available for us today, but we're getting great results and outcomes even with the very early models that we've been using through our FDA study and beyond. e future's re- ally good for this technology, and it's being proven by science, not just by a cheerleader. ere is very strong evidence that shows this is the appropriate thing for a patient who has the choice between a fusion and a disc replacement. And as patients become more edu- cated, I think they will continue asking that question, "Why do I have to have a fusion?" n Hospital for Special Surgery surgeon receives lifetime achievement award By Carly Behm New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery honored David Altchek, MD, with its lifetime achievement award. Dr. Altchek is the hospital's co-chief emeritus of sports medicine and shoulder service. He was honored along with philanthropist Andreas Dracopoulos, according to a June 6 news release. Dr. Altchek has written more than 100 articles and served as North Ameri- can medical director for the Association of Tennis Professionals and was a former team physician for the U.S. Davis Cup tennis team. He is a clini- cal orthopedic professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. He's previously received honors by the the Association of American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and New York City-based Columbia Uni- versity. "His name is synonymous with the finest sports medicine care in the na- tion for athletes at all levels, including elite professionals," Bryan Kelly, MD, HSS surgeon-in-chief, said in the release. "His pioneering surgical techniques have raised the bar for patients at HSS and beyond." n Cincinnati physician leads stem cell trial for back pain patients By Carly Behm A Cincinnati pain management physician led the first prospec- tive controlled trial in the world on treating chronic back pain with stem cells, with about 70 percent of participants seeing positive results. Sairam Atluri, MD, led the trial on using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for chronic pain, according to a June 15 news release. The trial looked at 40 patients who received stem cell treatment and 40 who were in a control group. They were followed for a year after treatment. Almost 70 percent of those who received stem cell treatment had significant pain relief and improved physical and mental func- tion. All of them cut down or eliminated their pain medication. Eight percent of those in the control group reported improved function- ing. The results were published in the March/April issue of Pain Phy- sician Journal. "These results of this treatment are astonishing and now, irrefut- able," Dr. Atluri said in the release. "I travel around the world educat- ing and teaching other physicians about BM-MSCs, and now I can do it with scientific proof in hand…. It's changing people's lives, and in many cases, giving them a future to look forward to for the first time in years." n