regan success story 2015.indd

Back to Running
Cervical artificial disc relieves pain &
helps retain neck mobility.
Bill is an active professional. In his free
time, he enjoys running and working
out in the gym. But for several years
he had experienced chronic pain and
discomfort along with a tingling sensation in his right cheek and shoulder. This
was a major distraction in Bill’s life and
he was eager to resolve the cause of
his symptoms.
John Regan, MD
Board-Certified
Orthopedic Surgeon
Fellowship-Trained
Spine Surgeon
Bill was referred to an orthopedic
surgeon by his primary care provider.
The surgeon suggested Bill start with
nonsurgical spine care and the use
of cervical epidural injections to help
free up the pinched nerve in his neck.
Unfortunately, the injections didn’t
help relieve Bill’s symptoms. The orthopedic surgeon next talked with Bill
about spine surgery options including
a cervical spine fusion. The surgeon
also talked with Bill about an artificial
disc surgery that could help relieve his
symptoms and allow him to retain motion, but the surgeon was not trained in
the procedure.
Bill understood the importance of
being informed about his healthcare options so he sought opinions from four
spine surgeons, including two
orthopedic surgeons and two
neurological surgeons. The
consensus was that he would
need spine surgery to relieve
his severe cervical spinal stenosis. “I understood that a
cervical fusion would mean a
loss of movement in my neck.
With my active lifestyle, I was
reluctant to have a fusion if
there were other options available that would allow me to
keep normal neck motion,” Bill explains.
This desire compelled Bill to research
cervical artificial disc options that would
remove pressure on the nerve roots
and still allow him to retain motion.
Bill’s research for spine surgeons
trained in artificial disc replacement led
him to Dr. John Regan, the founder of
Spine Group Beverly Hills and former
Director of Spinal Disorders at CedarsSinai Institute. He made an appointment with Dr. Regan where the surgeon
reviewed his medical history and diagnostics. Dr. Regan next talked in detail
with Bill about his spine condition before
they discussed treatment options, including the Mobi-C artificial disc. Dr. Regan cautioned Bill that the artificial disc
is not appropriate for all patients. After
going through the screening process Bill
was relieved to learn that he was indeed
a candidate for the artificial disc.
He decided to have the artificial
disc replacement surgery performed by
Dr. Regan and the surgery was a success. Following his surgery, Bill no longer
had the constant pain and tingling in his
upper extremities. He was back at the
office within a week and back to running within a month. Bill attended physical therapy after his surgery where he
learned specialized exercises designed
to help with recovery and strengthen his
neck muscles to prevent future strain.
Today, Bill is back to working out in
the gym and running 7 miles a day —
and most importantly — symptom free.
“Dr. Regan is a masterful
surgeon, I have recommended him
to others
and will continue to do so,”
Bill reflects.
Image left demonstrates Mobi-C
disc in the cervical spine. In the
Mobi-C clinical study, patients
returned to work on average one
week faster (one-level patients)
and three weeks faster (two-level
patients) compared to fusion
patients.
Today, Bill is
back to running
7 miles at a time
— free of symptoms.
Nonsurgical Spine Treatment
New Cervical Artificial Disc Option
The primary goal of treatment at Spine Group Beverly Hills
is to get you back to your everyday activities. Generally
speaking, non-surgical treatment options like exercise,
physical therapy and spinal injections can relieve many
cases of back pain and neck pain all without the need for
surgery. The physicians at Spine Group Beverly Hills are able
to care for a wide range of complex spine and orthopedic
conditions.
Spine Group Beverly Hills includes fellowship-trained
physical medicine specialist, Dr. George Cyril. Dr. Cyril
is experienced in injection therapy, including cortisone
injections, epidural steroid injections, trigger point injections
and nerve blocks, to relieve pain and help patients start
physical therapy, which in turn can alleviate the need for
more invasive treatment options.
In addition to injection therapy, Dr. Cyril is trained in
regenerative medicine treatment options like platelet rich
plasma therapy, stem cell therapy and bone marrow aspirate.
Through the new specialty of Regenerative Medicine, back
pain and joint pain can now be relieved nonsurgically by
concentrating the body’s own natural healing power onto
injured disc tissue or joints.
Dr. John Regan is trained in the use of Mobi-C® cervical
artificial disc replacement. Mobi-C® is the first and only
cervical disc replacement device to receive FDA approval
to treat both one-level and two-level cervical disc disease.
Mobi-C is differentiated from other cervical discs because
of its bone sparing technique, which eliminates the need
for bone chiseling and drilling, and optimizes it for twolevel indications.
Before artificial discs were available, patients would
often receive an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
(ACDF) procedure to alleviate the pain from a herniated
disc. In a fusion surgery, the disc is removed and either a
bone spacer or a plastic implant will be placed in the disc
space to restore disc height and remove pressure on the
pinched nerves or spinal cord. A metal plate and screws
can be placed on the front of the neck to hold the implant
in place. The result of this procedure will be a segment
that no longer moves, or is “fused”.
The potential downside of a fusion procedure, in addition
to the loss of motion, is that it can create stress on the
spinal levels above and
below it. This can cause
degeneration at those
levels
and
potentially
result in another future
surgery.
Advantages
of
the
Mobi-C®
device
over
fusion is that the neck
maintains normal motion
and potentially prevents
the adjacent levels from
degenerating—
possibly
Educational content and image provided in part by LDR
preventing
future Holding Corporation, used with permission.
surgeries.
Interested patients can learn more about new artificial
disc replacement options by calling 310-385-8010 or
visiting SpineGroupBeverlyHills.com.
Patient Education and E-Consult for Spine
Spine Group Beverly Hills has developed an online encyclopedia on spine at SpineGroup
BeverlyHills.com that has symptom charts, home remedies, medical illustrations, narrated videos
on spine treatment and exercises that relieve back and neck pain. In addition, if you have a
patient with a complex back or neck problem who requires surgery or may need a consult for
a complex spine problem, you can now access the expertise of SpineGroupBeverlyHills.com
for the benefit of your patient. Visit the For Physicians section of our website where you can
send an email inquiry about a patient through our E-Consult form. Also, as a community service,
the spine center mails out a free 36-page Home Remedy Book that provides a home exercise
program for back and neck problems. This Home Remedy Book has helped thousands of
people with symptom relief. Physicians can call our office at 310-385-8010 to request multiple
copies of the Home Remedy Book for their patients.
Beverly Hills Main Office:
8929 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 302
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Newport Beach Satellite Office:
3501 Jamboree Road, Suite 1200
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Referrals & Appointments:
Phone: 310-385-8010
Fax: 310.595.1063
SpineGroupBeverlyHills.com